Instructions: Pour oil into a 5- to 6-quart pan and place over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, chilies, and cumin. Stir until onion is limp. Add broth, oregano, and all chicken except breast pieces. Cover and simmer 20 minutes. Add carrots, rice, and chicken breasts. Cover and continue simmering until breast is no longer pink when cut in thickest part, about 15 minutes longer.

Remove from heat. Lift out chicken pieces and, when cool enough to handle, remove skin and bones; discard. Tear meat into bite-size pieces. (If made ahead, cool, cover soup and chicken, and chill. Lift off and discard solid fat on soup.)

Scrub chayotes and cut, including the edible seed, to make 1/2-inch cubes (or cut zucchini into 1/2-inch cubes). Bring soup to simmering; add chayote and chicken. Simmer, covered, until chayote is tender when pierced, 5 to 10 minutes. Skim off and discard fat. Add salt to taste. Ladle into bowls and offer condiments to add to each serving.

This recipe yields 4 to 6 servings.

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