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1
Brown the chicken and pork
12 Mins
Medium-high heat, about 200°C (400°F)
Warm the olive oil in a large pot, season the chicken and pork with half the salt, and brown them in batches for about 10 minutes until golden on all sides. Lift the meat out and set it aside.
Do not crowd the pot — meat that steams instead of browning makes a pale, flat broth.
Done when: The meat is golden-brown on the outside; it will finish cooking in the broth.
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2
Build the sofrito
10 Mins
Medium heat, about 175°C (350°F)
In the same pot, cook the onion and green pepper for 5 minutes until soft, then add the garlic, cumin and oregano and cook 1 minute more. Stir in the crushed tomato and tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes until the sofrito darkens and smells sweet.
Scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pot as the onion cooks — that is where the flavour lives.
Done when: The sofrito is soft, dark golden and fragrant.
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3
Simmer the meats
30 Mins
Gentle simmer, about 93°C (200°F)
Return the chicken and pork to the pot with the bay leaves, pour in the water, and bring to a gentle boil. Skim off any foam, lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes until the meat is nearly tender.
Keep the pot at a lazy simmer, not a rolling boil, so the broth stays clear and the meat stays tender.
Done when: The chicken is nearly cooked through and the pork yields when pressed.
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4
Add the root vegetables in stages
25 Mins
Gentle simmer, about 93°C (200°F)
Lift out the chicken pieces and set them aside. Add the yuca and corn rounds first and simmer 10 minutes, then add the boniato, malanga and potato and simmer 15 minutes more until all the roots are tender. The malanga will start to break down and thicken the broth — that is exactly right.
Yuca needs the longest, so it goes in first; the softer roots follow, or they turn to mush before the yuca is done.
Done when: The roots are tender when pierced with a knife, and the broth has visibly thickened.
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5
Add the noodles and finish the soup
10 Mins
Gentle simmer, about 93°C (200°F)
Shred the chicken off the bone into bite-size pieces and return it to the pot with the pork. Stir in the broken noodles and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until the noodles are just tender. Remove the bay leaves, stir in the lime juice, and taste for salt.
Do not add the noodles early — 10 minutes is enough, and longer turns them soft and swollen.
Done when: The noodles are tender but still hold their shape, and the chicken is hot through, at least 74°C (165°F).
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6
Rest and serve
5 Mins
Off the heat, about 85°C (185°F)
Take the pot off the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes so the broth settles and the flavours come together. Ladle into deep bowls, making sure each bowl gets meat, roots, corn and noodles, and scatter the cilantro on top.
Resting matters: the starch from the roots keeps thickening the soup for a few minutes off the heat.
Done when: The soup is thick enough to coat a spoon, steaming hot, and every bowl has a share of everything.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve the caldosa steaming hot in deep bowls with crusty bread on the side and lime wedges for squeezing. The soup thickens as it sits, so stir it gently before ladling a second bowl.
Cuba
3h
