Lime Soup (Sopa de Lima)

With an aromatic base of peppers and onions simmered together in a savory, spiced broth, Sopa de Lima (Lime Soup) has an extraordinary flavor. It tastes richly savory with sharp acidic notes. It's one of the most delicious dishes of the Yucatán peninsula in Mexico. And even better? It's easy to make, too.

What is Sopa de Lima?

Akin to tortilla soup, Sopa de Lima (Lime Soup) is a culinary specialty of Yucatán. It features a slow-simmered broth typically made from turkey or chicken and a vibrant sofrito made with sweet peppers and onion. Fresh lime brings a pleasant touch of acidity to the soup, which you dress at the table with thin strips of fried corn tortillas, plenty of fresh cilantro, chopped chilies, and, occasionally, ripe avocado.

Ingredient Notes

• Broth is the foundation of the recipe. In Yucatàn, it's often made from turkey or chicken carcasses. This homemade chicken broth recipe is a good start. Vegetable broth also works, but lacks the depth of flavor you'd find in real broth.
• Sweet peppers, onions and tomatoes make the sofrito, or the base that gives the broth its flavor and depth. We use orange and red bell peppers for their sweeter flavor, but Hungarian wax peppers or mild green chiles make a good substitute.
• Onions give the sofrito depth. I prefer white onion for its pleasant bite, but you can easily substitute yellow or red onion if that's what you have on hand.
• Tomatoes give the soup a little body and loads of flavor. Opt for meaty plum or Roma tomatoes if you can find them, as they tend to hold up well to soup-making and are less watery.
• Shredded chicken breasts are added to the broth along with the sofrito. It gives it a good boost of protein and makes it a little more filling.
• Spices for the broth include cinnamon, allspice, black peppercorns, whole cloves, and bay leaves. Cinnamon is a popular spice in Mexican cooking, and allspice is indigenous to Yucatán, where it's commonly used in its traditional cookery.
• Lime gives the soup its acidity. In Yucatán, lima agria or key limes are widely used. They're less widely available in the United States, and you can substitute the larger limes you find at the grocery store.
• Lard is traditionally used in many traditional Mexican recipes. It's perfect for frying the tortilla strips or cooking down the sofrito. Choose pasture-raised lard as it is rich in vitamin D and monounsaturated fat. It's an excellent alternative to vegetable oil for frying.
• Garnishes include fried tortilla strips, lime slices, fresh cilantro, and chopped chilies. You can add serrano or jalapeño peppers, but we favor habañero for its intense heat and subtle floral notes.

Recipe Tips

• If you're making a larger batch of soup, consider making the broth yourself by simmering a whole chicken in a large soup pot. Then strain and reserve the broth and shred the chicken.
• Many traditional recipes are made with turkey rather than chicken. If you happen to have leftovers from a slow-roasted turkey, this is a great way to use them.
• Cook the sofrito until it's very soft and begins to break down. It will release its flavor into the broth more effectively.
• Keep a plate lined with paper towels on hand to drain the fried tortillas so that they're less greasy when you add them to the soup.
• Charring the onions, cloves of garlic, and spices before simmering the broth amplifies their flavor and gives the broth a beautiful depth of flavor.
• Use gloves when slicing the hot chilies. It'll prevent you from burning your skin from the pepper's capsaicin.

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