Name: Tamale Soup (Sopa de Tamal) with Corn Masa Dumplings
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients: 3 cups Rotisserie Chicken (you can also boil 2 chicken breasts in 6 cups of water, it will just add more time); 5 1/2 cups Water; 1 ½ cups Chicken Stock; 1 16.7 oz Jar of Salsa Verde (I like it spicy); 1 Onion; 1 Serreno Pepper (optional); 4 cloves Garlic; 1 tbsp Chili Powder; 2 teas Cummin; 1 teas Oregano; 1 teas Salt; 2 cups Corn Masa (Instant corn masa like Maseca brand); 1 ½ cups Water; 1 teas Salt; ¼ cup Cilantro (chopped); 3 tbsp lard (or butter); 1 lime; 1 Jalapeño (diced); 1 Avocado (diced); Queso Cotija

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This spicy chicken and dumplings soup is the perfect gluten free recipe out there! Made with Corn Masa Dumplings (chochoyotes). This is comfort food with a twist. Made with salsa verde and rotisserie chicken, it such a fast recipe especially if you are looking for easy recipes. It is the best gluten free and dairy free recipe! Sopa de pollo

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Soup with chochoyotes, spicy chicken and dumplings

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Chicken and dumplings with a twist! This salsa verde chicken soup recipe is spicy and divine, it is made with masa dumplings (aka chochoyotes which are Mexican dumplings), salsa verde and is ready in under 30 minutes! Just imagine tamales in soup form and this is it! Chicken verde soup is such a fast and easy, and totally tasty meal and it’s gluten free! It’s the best gluten free chicken and dumplings.

Spicy, gluten free chicken and dumpling soup with store bought salsa verde, is tasty amazing and easy! Making corn masa dumplings (chochoyotes) is actually a cinch, and this entire recipe only took me 45 minutes from start to finish (it would’ve taken less if I had a rotisserie chicken at hand).

It’s not just gluten free chicken and dumplings, it’s actually dairy free chicken and dumplings as well, unless you add crema or queso fresco at the end.

Before I get started I want to clear something up about the word “Tamale.” Tamale is totally a gringo word and is not grammatically correct in Spanish! “Tamal” is the proper term for the singular form of the noun, and “tamales” is the plural form.

~~TAMALE~~= No!

TAMAL= Yes!

You don’t have “one tamale” you have “one tamal” and “two tamales” ok? I considered naming this “tamale soup” because that’s what people might search in search engine, but it is totally grammatically incorrect!

Phew, ok! Now that I got that cleared up, I feel much better. Let’s talk about this chicken verde soup!

If you are looking for a good salsa verde, then this is this salsa verde I use. La Costena tomatillo salsa. It had a very good kick to it. I added another serrano as well to the soup, but that is totally optional. My whole family loves spicy foods.

If you don’t use a rotiserrie chicken for this, then you will need 2 split chicken breasts.

How to make chicken verde soup with chochoyotes

Boil the chicken in 6 cups of water until it is cooked through, shred and set aside, reserving the water from the cooked chicken.

While the chicken is boiling, we are going to prepare the corn masa dumplings. Also known as “chochoyotes.” I love chochoyotes! They are made with the same type of masa used in tamales, they are super tasty and very easy to make!

How to make chochoyotes (corn masa dumplings)

If you want to read my full and more comprehensive article on chochoyotes, click that hyperlink to find out more.

Take 2 cups of the corn masa, add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 1/2 cups of water. Knead it by hand until it comes together. Add 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro and 3 tablespoons of lard (I substituted butter since I didn’t have any lard) and knead again.

Wrap it into a ball in plastic wrap and pop it into the fridge while you prepare the rest of the soup.

Chop up your onion, garlic and serrano pepper. Add the onion into a large pot or Dutch oven with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Sauté it for a few minutes then add the garlic, serrano pepper, chili powder, cumin, oregano and salt sautéing it for one more minute.

Add the salsa verde, chicken stock and the reserved water from the cooked chicken into the Dutch oven and simmer on medium heat for 15-20 minutes. I use a large pot or Dutch oven like this one.

While it is simmering, pull out the masa and roll into 1 inch balls, pressing your thumb down in the middle to make a little indentation.

Drop the chochoyotes (masa dumplings) into the simmering soup, one at a time. They will begin to rise to the top of the soup after 3-4 minutes. Add the chicken and heat through.

Avoid over cooking and over stirring once the dumplings are in the pot, otherwise they may fall apart. Serve with your choice of toppings. I love topping the soup with cilantro, jalapeño slices, fresh lime juice and avocados.

Oh and you could totally put some crumbly queso cotija on it and sour cream or Mexican cream, unless you want to keep it dairy free.

sopa de tamal, chicken verde soup which is gluten free chicken soup with masa dumplings

Why did my masa dumplings fall apart?

There are several reasons your chochoyotes could fall apart. If you added too much water, they may fall apart, and if you cook them too long, or stirring them too vigorously may also make them fall apart. Make sure to only drop them in one at a time into the soup.

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Tamale Soup (Sopa de Tamal) with Corn Masa Dumplings

Emily Ackerman

This just might be the best Chicken and Dumpling soup recipe on the planet. It's easy, quick and gluten free!

5 from 5 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Servings 8

Ingredients

For the Soup

3 cups Rotisserie Chicken you can also boil 2 chicken breasts in 6 cups of water, it will just add more time
5 1/2 cups Water
1 ½ cups Chicken Stock
1 16.7 oz Jar of Salsa Verde I like it spicy
1 Onion
1 Serreno Pepper optional
4 cloves Garlic
1 tbsp Chili Powder
2 teas Cummin
1 teas Oregano
1 teas Salt

For the Chochoyotes (Corn Masa Dumplings)

2 cups Corn Masa Instant corn masa like Maseca brand
1 ½ cups Water
1 teas Salt
¼ cup Cilantro chopped
3 tbsp lard or butter

Toppings

1 lime
1 Jalapeño diced
1 Avocado diced
Queso Cotija

Instructions

Either use 3 cups of rotisserie chicken or follow the instructions below for uncooked chicken breasts
Boil 2 split chicken breasts in 6 cups of water until cooked through. Shred the chicken and set aside, reserving the water for the soup
Prepare the masa dough by kneading together the masa, salt and water for one minute. Add the cilantro and lard (or butter) and knead until combined.
Wrap the masa dough in plastic wrap in a large ball and put into the fridge while preparing the soup
Chop up the onions, garlic and serrano pepper.
Sauté the onions in a large pot or Dutch oven in 2 Tbs of vegetable oil for 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic, serrano pepper, chili powder, cumin, salt and oregano, sautéing it for one more minute.
Add the jar of salsa, chicken stock and remaining water and simmer on medium to high heat for 15-20 minutes, while preparing the masa dumplings
Roll the masa dough into 1 inch balls and press your thumb in the middle to make an indentation
After the soup has cooked for about 15 minutes, drop the chochoyotes (masa dumplings) into the soup 1-2 at a time
Simmer them for 3-4 minutes or until they being to float to the top
Add the shredded chicken and heat through
Serve with desired toppings and enjoy!

Notes

The cook time of this soup does not factor in cooking the chicken, it has only factored in the already cooked rotisserie, or shredded chicken