Chicken Tortilla Soup

 

 Chicken Tortilla Soup

 

I ran across this recipe years ago on Allrecipes.com. I have tweaked it over the years and it has become a go to recipe for me. And while it is called Chicken Tortilla Soup, the recipe doesn't actually call for tortillas. Though I recommend serving it with cornbread or tortillas. Dole Salads also sell a Southwest salad kit that I highly recommend to serve with this soup.

                                                       

Admittedly the recipe looks like a lot at first glance but it is extremely fast and easy to make due to most of the ingredients being canned. The soup bursts with flavor and is very filling (as a doubting Mr. K discovered). It freezes well, which is good because it serves 8 people and my household is not that large. And the freezing allows me to take leftovers to friends and neighbors.   

I tend to cheat and purchase a rotisserie chicken from the store instead of cooking the chicken myself. I ether use all of the meat or save the excess meat for other recipes. But I find that the rotisserie chicken usually gives it a little extra depth of flavor. Or at least that is what I tell myself to alleviate my occasional guilt at using the short cut.     
 

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Original recipe makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin (the original recipe calls for dried oregano but I prefer the flavor of cumin in this recipe. Although a dried Mexican oregano might not be bad.)
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 (10.5 ounce) cans condensed chicken broth (or you can substitute 1 can of chicken broth for 1 1/4 cups water)
• 1 cup whole corn kernels, cooked (I usually just throw in a can of Mexican Corn since it has the peppers mixed in it or a regular can of corn)
• 1 cup white hominy (You can also substitute a cup of white corn if white hominy is unavailable)
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped fire-roasted green chile peppers (Although regular chopped green chile peppers work just as well)
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (10 ounce) can of Ro*tel with Lime Juice and Cilantro (You can also use a regular can of Ro*tel if you can't find the Lime and Cilantro Ro*tel)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and shredded into bite-sized pieces
• lime juice (to taste)
• crushed tortilla chips

Optional Toppings:

• sliced avocado
• shredded Mexican cheese blend or Monterey Jack cheese
• sour cream
• chopped green onions
• sliced limes to squeeze into soup

Directions:

1. In a medium stock pot, heat oil over medium heat.
2. Sauté onion and garlic in oil until soft.
3. Stir in chili powder, cumin, tomatoes, broth, and water.
4. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Stir in corn, hominy, chiles, beans, Ro*tel, cilantro, and chicken.
6. Simmer for 10 minutes.
7. Ladle soup into individual serving bowls.
8. Top the soup with crushed tortilla chips, avocado slices, cheese, sour cream, lime slices and chopped green onion.