Seca de Pollo

Step 1

Remove skin from chicken and discard.

Step 2

Season chicken with salt, pepper, and cumin. Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the bottom of a large pot.

Step 3

Add chicken and season with adobo. Sear on each side until brown, about 3 minutes per side.

Step 4

Once browned, remove from pot and set aside. (Depending on the size of your pot, you may need to do this in batches.)

Step 5

To the same pot add red onion, bell pepper, scallions, butter, and the whole achiote seasoning packet.

Step 6

Stir to melt butter and combine. Let cook until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes or so.

Step 7

Add the garlic, salt, pepper, and dried oregano to taste. Cook for another few minutes before adding the chicken, including any juices,  back in.

Step 8

Cover the chicken with the vegetables to make sure everything is distributed well. Add enough water to just barely cover the chicken and give it another stir.

Step 9

Add the bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Using a cheese grater, grate tomato directly into the pot.

Step 10

Add the bouillon cube and stir well. Add potatoes, a little more adobo, and half parsley and cilantro.

Step 11

Cover and cook until potatoes are just barely done (when you can stick a fork in them, but they don’t fall apart), about 10 minutes.

Step 12

Taste the soup and add more salt, pepper, or adobo as needed. Remove lid and cook for another 5-10 minutes to let reduce. Finish with the rest of your fresh herbs. Serve with white rice and avocado!