Tesmole – Chicken and Veggie Soup with Corn Dumplings

This nurturing soup is a traditional dish in several Mexican states, namely, Puebla, Oaxaca, Michoacán, and Veracruz, featuring corn dough (masa) dumplings called chochoyones.  The word tesmole has a Nahuatl origin, from textli – dough, and mulli – sauce. The dish itself is thought to be from pre-Hispanic times, probably made with native fowl meat, epazote (a Mexican potherb), corn, and local veggies such as chayote, green beans, squash, peppers, and indirectly, potatoes (which arrived from South America). Spanish colonial and more recent substitutions and additions to tesmole include: chicken, carrots, garlic, and lard. When epazote is not available, I generally recommend just to omit, but in this particular recipe, using fresh spearmint will provide a similar refreshing sensation in the mouth.

Chicken and Veggie Soup with Corn Dumplings – Tesmole

Printable recipe: Chicken and Veggie Soup with Corn Dumplings – Tesmole

Ingredients

1 ½ lb (680 g) chicken pieces, with bone and skin
3 medium carrots; washed, ends removed, peeled and diced
2 cups corn kernels; fresh or thawed
2 medium potatoes; washed
1 cup green beans; washed, trimmed and sliced
2-3 zucchini; washed, ends removed, diced
1 chayote; washed, peeled, and diced
4 guajillo peppers; wiped clean, stems and seed removed
2 tbsp tomato paste
½ white onion; ends removed, peeled, and divided into two pieces
1 clove garlic
1 cup nixtamalized corn flour (masa harina, such as Maseca™ or Bob’s Red Mill™)
1 tbsp lard (or oil)
1 tbsp oil
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp epazote; washed, and finely chopped (or for this recipe, use fresh spearmint)
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground all-spice
Water, as needed
Salt and pepper, to taste
Limes; washed and cut into wedges

Cook chicken:  Place chicken pieces, bay leaves, and one piece of onion in a large pot. Fill with water, to cover chicken (photo below, left).  Bring to boil over high heat, then reduce to medium, and cook, covered, for 20-30 minutes, until chicken is tender and fully cooked (photo below, right):

Transfer chicken to a bowl (optional: remove and discard skin and bones, and shred meat). Reserve.

Strain broth through a mesh to discard solids. Reserve broth.

Prepare sauce: Boil two cups of water in a saucepan.  Add cleaned guajillo peppers, garlic clove, and the other piece of onion:

Remove from heat, and allow to soak until water cools down.

Transfer to a blender jar, add tomato paste, half a teaspoon of salt, cumin and all-spice (photo below, left); pour soaking water in (photo below, centre). Process until smooth (photo below, right):

Reserve.

Prepare corn dumplings (chochoyones): Place nixtamalized corn flour, one teaspoon of salt, lard (or oil), and epazote in a bowl; add half a cup of water (photo below, left). Knead gently to incorporate, adding more water gradually (about 3/4 cup total), to form a soft dough (photo below, right):

Take about one teaspoon of dough, and form into a ball (photo below, left). Press the centre of the ball, to flatten and form a well, using either a finger or thumb (photo below, centre), or the back of a small measuring spoon (photo below right):

Repeat with the rest of the dough; makes between fifty and sixty chocoyones:

Reserve.

Finish soup: Warm up one tablespoon of oil in a large pot over medium heat; add corn kernels, and diced carrots and potatoes (photo below, left). Let the veggies cook for one minute, then stir; do not worry if some are sticking to the bottom, and continue cooking for another two minutes.  Pour in reserved broth (photo below, right): 

Scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot with the back of a wooden spoon, then add reserved sauce, straining through a mesh (photo below, left).  Discard solids left behind in the mesh (photo below, right):

Stir and bring back to boil (photo below, left). Add the rest of the veggies (diced chayote, zucchini and sliced green beans, photo below, right):

Add water to empty blender jar, collecting leftover sauce, and pour in the pot, to desired soup consistency (photo below, left).  Bring back to boil, reduce to a simmer, and allow to cook, covered, until potatoes and chayote are fork-tender (photo below, right):

Add reserved chicken pieces (or shredded chicken meat, photo below left).  Stir to incorporate, season with salt and pepper, to taste, then gently drop in reserved chochoyones (photo below, right):

Bring broth to a very gentle boil, and cook until chochoyones start to float:

Adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper, to taste.

To serve: Scoop a little of everything into large soup bowls, and fill with broth. Offer lime wedges on the side:

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Learning how to grow epazote in pots, or letting self-seed in the garden is easy. Click here to read about how to cultivate epazote, from seed to table.

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I am bringing my recipe to Full Plate Thursday #744 with Miz Helen @ Miz Helen’s Country Cottage.

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I am sharing my post at Thursday Favourite Things #708, with Bev @ Eclectic Red Barn, Pam @ An Artful Mom, Katherine @ Katherine’s Corner, Amber @ Follow the Yellow Brick Home, and Linda @ Crafts a la Mode.

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I am joining Fiesta Friday #587 with Angie @ Fiesta Friday.