Caldo de Pollo with Güisquil and Corn
A restorative Guatemalan chicken soup with a whole cut-up chicken, chunks of güisquil (chayote), corn on the cob, carrots and potatoes in a broth fragrant with mint. Serve it with lime and chiltepe chile. This Guatemalan-inspired chicken recipe (dairy-free), ready in about 90 minutes, pairs whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces, water, ears of corn, cut into 2-inch rounds for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 380 calories and feeds 8, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.
Ingredients
- 3.5 lb whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
- 12 cups water
- 2 güisquil (chayote), peeled and cut into chunks
- 3 ears of corn, cut into 2-inch rounds
- 3 carrots, cut into chunks
- 4 yellow potatoes, quartered
- 2 Roma tomatoes, quartered
- 1 white onion, quartered
- 5 garlic cloves, smashed
- 4 sprigs fresh mint (hierbabuena)
- 1/2 bunch cilantro
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 limes, cut into wedges
- to taste chiltepe or dried pequín chiles
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Equipment for this recipe
Tools this recipe's steps call for, with a link to each on Amazon.
Instructions
- Step 1: Put the chicken, water, onion, garlic and tomatoes in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil and skim off the foam.
- Step 2: Add the salt, reduce the heat and simmer partially covered for 40 minutes.
- Step 3: Add the corn and carrots and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Step 4: Add the potatoes and güisquil and simmer for 15 minutes more, until all the vegetables are tender.
- Step 5: In the last 5 minutes, add the mint and cilantro. Remove the herb sprigs before serving and adjust the salt.
- Step 6: Ladle the soup into wide bowls so each serving gets chicken and a mix of vegetables. Serve with lime wedges, crushed chiltepe and warm tortillas.







