🇲🇽 Mexican
Caldo de Pollo (Mexican Chicken Soup)
⏱ 1 hr
🍞
🍽 6-8 (big family pot — *caldo* is always a pot, never a bowl) servings
⭐ 4/5
⚠️ Estimates only — not medical advice. Carb counts vary by brand and portion. Always verify with your endo or CDCES.
🌍 Cultural note
*Caldo de pollo* is what *mami* makes when you're sick, sad, or just need a hug in a bowl. Every Mexican family has their version. Nobody makes ⅓ cup of caldo — you make the whole pot, the whole family eats, the leftovers cure tomorrow's fever. Below, the kid carb math is broken out so your T1D baby can have seconds without a giant correction, with the rice abuela would put in.
🍽️ Kid's plate — the carb math
From this pot, build your child's bowl:
| Kid portion | Carbs |
|---|---|
| 1 cup broth + chicken + ½ cup veg | ~9g |
| 1 cup broth + chicken + ½ cup veg + ¼ cup rice (cooked in) | ~14g |
| 1 cup broth + chicken + ½ cup veg + ¼ avocado + lime | ~12g |
| 1 cup broth + chicken + ½ cup veg + 1 round of corn | ~16g |
Adults take the full bowl (1½ cups broth + bigger veg + corn round + rice). The pot feeds everyone.
Why this recipe is T1D-friendly
- Broth-based and protein-forward — no hidden sugars
- Vegetables provide steady, fiber-rich carbs instead of a quick spike
- A small handful of real rice cooked right into the broth — the abuela move, just portioned
- Sick-day friendly when appetite is low
Ingredients
- 2½ lb bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed (or a whole chicken cut up)
- 12 cups water
- 1 yellow onion, halved
- 5 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1½ tsp salt + more to taste
- 3 carrots, sliced into coins
- 1 chayote squash, peeled and cubed
- 2 zucchini, sliced
- 2 ears corn, each cut into 4 rounds (so each bowl can get 1 round)
- ⅓ cup long-grain white rice
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges + sliced avocado to serve
Directions
- Place chicken, water, onion, garlic, bay leaves, and salt in a large pot. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Skim foam off the top for the first 10 minutes. Simmer 25 minutes until chicken is tender.
- Remove chicken to a plate; let cool 5 min then shred meat off the bones and return to pot.
- Add carrots and rice. Simmer 10 min.
- Add chayote, zucchini, and corn. Simmer 8-10 more min until everything is fork-tender.
- Taste and adjust salt. Stir in cilantro.
- Ladle into bowls at the table — kid's bowl first, with the right scoop of rice and veg. Finish with a big lime squeeze and avocado slices.
Dash's kid tips 🐆
- Freeze single-serve portions in mason jars. This is THE soup to have in the freezer for sick days — pulling out a jar of mom's caldo when your kid has a fever is the closest thing to magic. Cook a tiny bit of fresh rice on the day if you want it fresher.
- Dash says: serve with the lime on the side — kids love squeezing it themselves
- If your kiddo skips veggies, blend a little broth + veg into the chicken — sneaky and stealthy
- Save the broth for tomorrow's lunch; it's a perfect low-carb sip when BG is running high