From the menu of ... No Mas! Hacienda & Cantina, 180 Walker Street S.W., Atlanta. 404-574-5678, www.nomascantina.com
Q: My boyfriend and I love the Margarita Chicken Soup at No Mas! Cantina on Walker Street in Atlanta. It's not on the menu on a daily basis, so when we go there to eat, we never know if it will be available. I would love to have the recipe so I can make it at home for him. Can you please get the recipe for us? Thanks. -- Courtney Cooper, Newnan
A. Melody Voirin, director of operations and executive chef for No Mas! Cantina, sent us this recipe. She created it a few years ago when she decided to give some Mexican flair to that comfort food classic, chicken and rice soup. "What could be more Mexican than Margaritas and jalapenos?" she wrote as a note with the recipe. The soup is now featured every Wednesday as the soup of the day.
This soup goes together really quickly. You’ll start the rice cooking and then prepare the soup itself. When the rice is done, the soup is ready, full of fresh flavors from the tomatoes, cilantro and jalapeno. The juice of fresh limes is the key ingredient that sparks the flavors and reminds you of those delicious No Mas! Cantina margaritas.
No Mas! Margarita Chicken Soup
Hands on: 25 minutes Total time: 25 minutes Serves : 6
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 cup white rice
10 cups low-sodium chicken stock, divided
1 cup chopped onions (about 1 large)
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons finely diced fresh jalapeno
1 pound chicken tenders, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/3 cup chopped tomatoes (about 2 medium tomatoes)
1/3 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1/3 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
Salt and pepper
Lime slices, for garnish
In a medium saucepan, warm 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat one minute. Add rice and sauté for two minutes, stirring to coat rice with oil. Add 2 cups chicken stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, cover pan and allow rice to simmer until all liquid has been absorbed and rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
While rice is cooking, in a large saucepan, heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, onions, garlic and jalapeno over medium-high heat. Sauté until onions begin to brown, about five minutes. Add chicken and sauté two minutes, stirring constantly. Add remaining 8 cups chicken stock, tomatoes and lime juice. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook until chicken has cooked through, about five minutes. Remove from heat, add cilantro and taste for seasoning.
Divide the rice between serving bowls and ladle soup over the top. Serve with lime slices and chopped fresh cilantro.
Per serving: 357 calories (percent of calories from fat, 31), 39 grams protein, 35 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 15 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 44 milligrams cholesterol, 126 milligrams sodium.
Is there a recipe from a metro Atlanta restaurant you'd like to make at home? Tell us and we'll try to get it. We'll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of volume, we can't answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to fromthemenu@gmail.com and put "From the menu of” and the name of the restaurant in the subject line.
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