Chochoyotes are traditional Mexican masa dumplings, often served in soups or stews, most famously in a dish known as Sopa de Chochoyotes.
Our Mexican Dumpling Soup recipe features handmade chochoyotes that are cooked in a savoury spiced chile broth with tender squash and potatoes.
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How To Make Chochoyotes Mexican Masa Dumpling Soup
Chochoyotes are small, round dumplings made from masa harina (corn flour used to make tortillas). They’re similar to gnocchi in texture but have a distinctly corn-based flavour.
The Mexican dumplings are typically pressed in the centre with a thumb, creating a little dimple to help them cook evenly and absorb flavour.
The soup is often made in rural or Indigenous communities, especially in southern states like Oaxaca, Chiapas, and Guerrero, as a way to stretch simple ingredients into a hearty, satisfying meal.
The rustic soup typically features a broth (often chicken based), vegetables (like sweet peppers, onions, tomatillos or squash), herbs & spices (like dried chile, garlic, cilantro, bay leaf, and oregano), and chochoyotes masa dumplings that are added at the end of cooking to absorb the broth and become tender.
Other popular additions include cooked beans, splash of lime juice, crumbled queso fresco, drizzle of salsa or hot chili oil.
Chochoyotes Mexican Dumpling Soup
Equipment
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- French knife
- Dutch Oven
- mixing bowl
- blender
Ingredients
Chochoyotes
- 230 g Masa Harina
- 2 tbsp Butter or Lard
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
Mole Amarillo
- 3 Chiles Chilhuacles Amarillos or Chiles Guajilios stemmed and seeded
- 2 tbsp Lard or Vegetable Oil
- 8 Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs sliced
- 1/2 Medium Red Onion chopped
- 1 Yellow Bell Pepper stemmed, seeded and chopped
- 3 Tomatillos husked, chopped
- 6 Garlic Cloves grated
- 2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 tsp Black Peppercorns
- 1 tsp Dried Oregano
- 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 4 Allspice Berries
- 1 Whole Clove
- 1/4 cup Cilantro Leaves
- 1 Dried Bay Leaf
- 5 cups Chicken Stock
- 8 Tortilla Chips crushed
- 1 lb Butternut Squash peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 Large Yukon Gold Potato peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
Instructions
Chochoyotes
- In a medium mixing bowl, mix the corn masa flour, lard or butter, salt and 3/4 cup of warm water until combined. Cover with a dish towel and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow the corn flour to hydrate.
- To shape the chochoyotes, scoop a tablespoon-sized portion of masa and roll into balls. Gently press your thumb into the middle of the ball to create a large and deep dimple, then transfer to a sheet pan and repeat with the remaining masa. Loosely cover with plastic wrap until ready to cook.
Mole Amarillo
- Meanwhile, soak the chiles for the mole. In a large saucepan over high heat, bring the chiles and 1/2 cup water to a boil. Cover the pot, remove from the heat, and let sit until the chiles have softened, around 30 minutes. Transfer the chile mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Set aside.
- In a large pot or Dutch Oven over medium-high, heat the lard or vegetable oil. Cook the chicken until browned, 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- To the same pot, add the onion, yellow bell peppers, tomatillos, garlic, salt, peppercorns, oregano, cumin, allspice, clove, cilantro, and bay leaf and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits at the bottom of the pan, until the vegetables are tender, 6-8 minutes.
- Add the stock and nachos. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- Working in batches, carefully add the chile mixture and the stock to a blender and puree until smooth.
- Rinse and dry the pot, then return the mole to the pot and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Add the squash and potato and cook for 20-30 minutes.
- Add the chicken back to the pot and add the chochoyotes. Cook until the Mexican dumplings float to the top and are cooked through, 5-10 minutes.
Nutrition
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