Steaming Seafood (or Chicken or Vegetable) Caldo - Rick Bayless

Ingredients

• 6 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 15-ounce can of fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1 to 2 canned chipotle chiles en adobo, roughly chopped, plus some of their canning liquid
• 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
• 1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
• Chopped fresh herbs (a big sprig of epazote is traditional, but you can use, a small handful of cilantro or parsley), plus a little extra for garnishing the finished soup
• 1 pound (about 4 medium) boiling potatoes (like the red-skinned ones), cut into roughly ½-inch pieces
• 1 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken (I prefer thigh meat here, but breast meat will work), cut into ½-inch pieces
• 3/4 pound zucchini (if you live near a Mexican grocery, you can use the light-skinned calabacitas they typically sell there), cut into ½-inch cubes
• A couple of medium carrots or parsnips (or one of each), peeled if you wish and cut into ½-inch pieces
• 1 pound mussels, scrubbed and any stringy-looking “beards” pulled off
• 3/4 pound peeled, deveined shrimp (defrosted if frozen)—I like the largish ones that are about 25 to a pound
• 1 ripe avocado (highly recommended for the vegetarian version), cut into small pieces, optional
• About 1/2 cup chopped white onion, rinsed under cold water, for serving
• 1 or 2 limes, cut into wedges, for serving