Sopa De Pollo Con Mofongo (Puerto Rican Chicken Soup)

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons sofrito
• 1/2 medium onion (diced)
• 1 medium carrot (diced)
• 1 medium potato (diced)
• 1 celery stalk (diced (optional))
• 2 14 oz cans low sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 3-4 skinless chicken legs or thighs (about 1-1.5 pounds)
• 1 heaping cup fideo noodles (fine egg noodles)
• 4 teaspoons powdered chicken bouillon
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
• Canola oil (for frying)
• 2 green plantains
• 2 slices cooked bacon (crumbled)
• Adobo seasoning
• Garlic powder

Instructions

1. 1

   --- For the Caldo De Pollo ---

2. 2

   Heat a Dutch oven to medium heat, then add the olive oil.

3. 3

   Add the sofrito, onions, carrots and celery and saute for 2-3 minutes.

4. 4

   Add in the diced potato and saute for another 2 minutes.

5. 5

   Toss the chicken legs into the pot.

6. 6

   Add the chicken broth, water, and powdered chicken bouillon.

7. 7

   Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

8. 8

   Pull out the chicken out once it's cooked, and pull the meat off the bones.

9. 9

   Add the shredded chicken back into the soup and taste for seasoning.

10. 10

    Add more chicken bouillon if needed.

11. 11

    Then stir in the fideos and cook for another 4-5 minutes, until the noodles are tender.

12. 12

    --- For the Mofongo ---

13. 13

    Peel the plantains and cut them into 2 inches pieces.

14. 14

    Submerge the plantain pieces in salted water so they don't brown while your canola oil heats up. Heat the oil to 375 degrees F.

15. 15

    Drain the plantains, and dry with a paper towel. Fry the plantains until they're golden brown and easily pierced with a knife, about 6-8 minutes.

16. 16

    In a pilon, add a few of the plantain pieces.

17. 17

    Sprinkle with adobo and garlic powder to taste, and add 1/2 of the bacon crumbles.

18. 18

    Mash the plantains until they become a paste.

19. 19

    If the mofongo beings to dry out, add a tablespoon of the chicken soup broth at a time to the mixture, until it is moist, but not soupy.

20. 20

    Add a few more plantain pieces and mash again.

21. 21

    Taste for salt, if it needs more, add more adobo.

22. 22

    Use a spoon to mix the mofongo, then scoop it out onto plate.

23. 23

    Repeat with the remaining plantain and bacon until you use all of it up.

24. 24

    Shape the mofongo into balls, about golf ball size.

25. 25

    Serve the hot soup with a few mofongo balls, and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro.