I LOVE Springtime and I LOVE soup!! I have been working on perfecting this Mexican style salsa, avocado, lime soup and I believe I have finally made it! There’s a whole lotta love that goes into this, from the freshly made celery stock to the garnishes at the end. This is becoming one of my all time favorites. It’s bright and clean tasting, with a nice citrus component to balance out the fat from the avocado, it’s a hearty meal but also very light. It’s sure to satisfy any craving and my kiddos love this too.

Moxie’s Chicken Avocado & Salsa Fresca Soup

You’ll Need:

• 6 chicken thighs
• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 2 jalapenos, cleaned of seeds and diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 head celery, cleaned and cut into chunks
• 5 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 32 ounce container low sodium chicken stock
• 2-3 tbsp.
• 3 cups celery stock
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro
• 3 avocados
• 3 limes
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper

Method:

Celery Stock:

Boil 3-4 cups of water, add in chunks of celery. Boil 20 minutes. Strain and set liquid aside.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil in a hot stock pot, add in chicken and brown on both sides, about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove from heat, set aside.

Turn heat down to medium and add in shallot, saute, stirring frequently. Add in half of the white wine as needed to deglaze the pan. Continue to saute for about 10 minutes. Add jalapeno and continue to cook for 6-8 minutes, add in chopped celery, cook 4 minutes, add the remaining white wine, deglaze. Add in garlic and cook for about 3 minutes. Slowly add in broth deglazing the pan one final time, then add in remaining broth and the 3 cups of celery stock. Place chicken back in whole, bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes. Add in tomatoes, stir, cover and simmer for another 30 minutes.

Remove chicken, let stand until cool enough to handle. Break down the chicken, remove the bones, skin, and any fat. Chop up the meat and add back into the soup.

To serve:

• loosely chop cilantro
• Cut avocados into chunks
• Slice limes in quarters

Dish up a 6 bowls, add ½ chopped avocado, squeeze half a lime, and sprinkle cilantro sparingly in each dish.

Mix, and enjoy!