ARTS&LIFE
CELEBRITY CHEFS

THE STORY OF MY 
LIFE CHICKEN SOUP

Ingredients
1 chicken, about 4 pounds, skinned, rinsed, 
patted dry, and cut into 6 pieces (2 legs, 2 
thighs and 2 breasts) 
2 cups Spanish onion, minced 
1 cup celery, finely diced 
1 cup finely diced carrots 
1 bay leaf 
About 4 quarts Chicken Stock 
2 cups ¼-inch diced chayote (can be 
replaced by pumpkin, calabaza or jicama) 
2 cups peeled sweet potato, ¼-inch diced 
(from about 1 large potato) 
2 medium ears of corn, cut into ¼-inch 
rounds 
½ cup dill leaves 
1 serrano chili, sliced very thinly 
¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves and stems 
1 lime, quartered or cut into sixths (1 wedge 
per person) 
Salt and Pepper 
8 ounces egg noodles

Directions
Put the chicken, onion, celery, car-
rots and bay leaf in a large stockpot 
and cover with cold chicken broth 
or cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a 
boil, then lower the heat and simmer 
until the chicken is cooked through, 
moist and tender, about 1 
hour. Use tongs or a 
slotted spoon to 
transfer the 

chicken to a plate and set aside until 
cool enough to handle.
Add the chayote, sweet potato, 
corn, dill, and chili to the pot. Simmer 
until the vegetables are cooked but 
with a little crunch, about 20 minutes.
Shred the cooled chicken meat 
by hand and return it to the pot. Stir 
in the egg noodles and cilantro and 
cook for about 8 to 10 minutes or 
until the noodles are tender. Season 
with salt and pepper. 
Ladle the soup into 4 to 6 bowls, 
making sure to get a good mix of 
vegetables in each bowl. Serve with 
a wedge of lime.
Serves 4 to 6.

ARROZ CON POLLO:

Ingredients
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs 
 
Marinade for chicken: 
2 Tbsp. olive oil 
½ tsp. oregano 
Juice of 1 lime or 1 Tbsp. lime juice 
¼ tsp. salt and black pepper

Directions 
Combine all ingredients and marinate 
for 2-3 hours.

Heat a Dutch oven or a large deep 
skillet over medium heat. When hot, 
add the chicken thighs (you don’t 
need any oil as the marinade has 
enough oil) and cook until golden 
brown on both sides. Remove and 
set aside at room temperature until 
cooking the rice. 
 
ARROZ:
Ingredients 
3 Tbsp. olive oil 
1 cup Spanish onion, tiny diced 
1 red bell pepper, tiny diced (no seeds) 
1 green bell pepper, tiny diced (no seeds) 
Salt and pepper 
2 cups chicken broth or stock 
2 cups Valencia rice (Spanish short-grain) 
1/₃ cup dry white wine 
4 Tbs. unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces 
1 heaping tsp. saffron threads steeped in 
2 Tbsp. boiling water for 5 minutes (don’t 
drain) 
1 Tbsp. of sazon completa, optional 
½ tsp. ground cumin 
½ tsp. ground turmeric 
2 Tbsp. tomato paste 
1 Tbsp. garlic, minced 
2 Tbsp. flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely 
chopped 
2 Tbsp. cilantro leaves, finely chopped 
2 cups of your favorite pilsner — or pale-ale-

MICH

AEL

 PIS

ARR

I

48 | JULY 7 • 2022 

