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1
Cook chicken and fortify stock Place the chicken, stock, peppercorns, bay leaf, and the salt in a large stockpot.
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2
Bring just to a boil, skimming foam from the surface, then reduce heat and simmer until chicken is just cooked through, 9 to 12 minutes for breast pieces and 12 to 18 minutes for legs and thighs.
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3
(Always check the thickest part to determine whether the chicken is cooked; the juices should run clear and an instant-read thermometer should register 160F for breasts, 165F for thighs.)
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4
Remove chicken from stock.
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5
Once it is cool enough to handle, slip off skin and pull meat from bones, then shred meat into bite-size pieces.
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6
Strain stock through a sieve into a clean saucepan.
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7
Meanwhile, prepare chiles Toast the chiles in a dry medium skillet over high heat until fragrant and charred, about 1 minute on each side.
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8
Let cool a bit, then split chiles lengthwise and scrape out seeds; discard seeds.
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9
Put chiles in a bowl and cover with warm water to soften, about 20 minutes (do not drain).
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10
If necessary, weight chiles with another bowl to keep them submerged.
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11
Make puree Heat broiler with rack about 5 inches below heat source.
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12
Lightly oil tomatoes and broil until charred in spots, about 5 minutes.
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13
Let cool briefly, then coarsely chop.
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14
Using the same skillet as above, heat oil over medium-high heat and saute onion and garlic until translucent, about 3 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking.
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15
Add the tomatoes and cook 2 minutes more.
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16
Stir in chiles and soaking liquid.
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17
Allow mixture to cool slightly before pureeing in a blender until smooth.
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18
Strain mixture through a sieve, pressing with a flexible spatula to extract as much liquid as possible (discard solids).
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19
Finish soup Add puree to fortified stock and simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes, to allow the flavors to blend.
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20
Add shredded chicken and cook just to heat through, then stir in lime juice.
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21
Serve Ladle soup into serving bowls and serve garnishes in individual bowls alongside.
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22
Commonly used in moles, pasilla chiles are 6 to 8 inches long, with blackish brown skin and a mild flavor.
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23
Look for them in Mexican or Latino markets and the specialty foods sections of supermarkets.
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24
Other dried chiles, such as ancho or mirasol, are good alternatives.
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25
Cotija cheese is a semi-hard Mexican cheese made from cows milk.
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26
It is available in two varieties: the moist type is similar to feta and is perfect for crumbling over soups, salads, and tacos; firmer ones resemble Parmesan cheese in taste and texture and are more easily grated.
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27
The soup components can be prepared a day ahead: Cook and shred the chicken, then refrigerate in a covered container.
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28
Proceed with the recipe to make the chile puree, heating with the strained stock for 15 minutes.
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29
Let cool, then refrigerate in an airtight container.
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30
When you are ready to proceed, heat the stock, then add the chicken and cook just until it is heated through.
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31
Stir in lime juice at the end.
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32
Except for the tortillas, which can be fried 1 to 2 days ahead and kept at room temperature, the garnishes should be prepared as close to serving as possible.
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33
Once the stock is simmering, slice the onion and cabbage, cut the limes, grate the cheese, and dice the avocado (toss with a bit of lime juice to prevent it from turning brown).
