Yucatán Peninsula, southeastern Mexico — a staple of Mérida restaurants and home kitchens, particularly served at midday
Sopa de Lima is Yucatán's answer to chicken soup — a clear, bright, lime-soured broth built on a foundation of slow-simmered chicken, charred aromatics, and the distinctive flavour of Yucatecan lima (a local citrus variety that is sweeter and more floral than standard lime). The soup's defining characteristic is its limpid clarity paired with sharp citrus acidity, achieved through careful layering of a charred sofrito base into a clean chicken stock. The broth begins with a whole chicken simmered in water with onion, garlic, and bay leaves for 45 minutes to an hour until the meat is fully cooked and the stock is flavourful but not cloudy. The chicken is removed, the stock strained, and the meat shredded into clean pieces. This separation of cooking stages is what allows the final soup to be simultaneously rich and clear. The sofrito — tomatoes, onion, garlic, and sweet green pepper — is charred directly on a dry comal until blackened at the edges, then chopped and fried briefly in lard in the soup pot. This paso de charring is characteristic of Yucatecan cooking and adds a layer of smoky depth that distinguishes the soup from a simple chicken broth. The strained stock is added to the charred sofrito and simmered for 20 minutes. The lima juice is added at the very end, just before serving, in generous quantities — typically two to three limes per litre of soup. Adding citrus too early destroys its aromatic top notes. Fried tortilla strips are placed in the bowl, the hot soup ladled over, and sliced avocado, fresh cilantro, and habanero arranged on top. The result is a soup of remarkable brightness — simultaneously comforting and vivid, with citrus acidity cutting cleanly through the chicken fat.
Bright and deeply savoury — charred vegetable depth, clear chicken richness, and vivid lime acidity that cuts through fat with precision
Simmer and strain the stock separately before building the sofrito base for clarity and control Char the sofrito vegetables on a dry comal before frying — this builds smoky depth unique to Yucatecan style Add lime juice at the very last moment before serving to preserve its aromatic brightness Fry tortilla strips separately in hot lard until fully crisp — they should remain crisp for at least five minutes in the hot soup Use Yucatecan lima if available; otherwise combine standard lime with a small amount of orange zest for complexity
A small piece of charred white onion dissolved into the stock adds colour and sweetness For service, warm the bowls so the soup temperature holds through the citrus addition Habanero should be served whole on the side for diners who want to rub the cut edge around the bowl A drizzle of lard over the surface just before serving amplifies the soup's aroma The shredded chicken can be briefly fried in the sofrito before the stock is added for richer flavour
Adding lime juice early in cooking, producing a flat, bitter soup without citrus fragrance Failing to char the sofrito, making a generic chicken vegetable soup without the characteristic smoky lift Using pre-made chicken stock instead of cooking the whole chicken in the broth, losing the body and fat Crowding toppings, which creates steam and softens the tortilla strips before they reach the table Over-salting the stock before the lime is added — lime juice increases perceived saltiness