Mexican Chicken and Chayote Soup

Ingredients

• 8 oz firm-ripe avocado pitted peeled sliced
• 14 oz canned tomatoes diced canned
• 12 oz chayote ) 
• 4 servings rice hot cooked
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 
• 4 cups fat-skimmed chicken broth 
• 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves fresh chopped
• 15 oz garbanzos rinsed drained canned
• 3 cloves garlic peeled chopped
• 2  jalapeño chiles fresh stemmed rinsed thinly sliced
• 4 servings lime wedges 
• 4 servings salt 
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 
• 6 oz onion white peeled chopped
• 24 oz boned rinsed

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• ladle
• spatula
• tongs

Directions

1. Rinse chayote and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (you can cut through edible seed).
2. Set a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat. When hot, add oil, onion, garlic, chiles, and cumin; stir until onion begins to brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Add broth, tomatoes (including juice), garbanzos, and the chayote; bring to a boil.
4. Add chicken in a single layer, pushing down to submerge in liquid. Return to a boil, then cover pan tightly and remove from heat.
5. Let stand until chicken is no longer pink in center of thickest part (cut to test), 15 to 17 minutes. With tongs, lift chicken out. Return soup to a boil over high heat; if chayote is not tender, simmer, covered, until tender when pierced.
6. Cut chicken breasts crosswise into thick slices, leaving pieces next to each other; with a wide spatula, transfer each sliced breast half to a wide bowl.
7. Ladle soup into bowls. Distribute avocado and cilantro over chicken and garnish with lime wedges to squeeze over servings.
8. Add salt to taste.
9. Serve with rice to spoon into soup.