Chicken Tortilla Soup
I am the type of person that will crave random foods during inopportune times. What I mean is that I will crave soup when it is 95 degrees outside. We have had a bit of a hot and humid streak in NC, making it rather sauna like when you walk outside, it’s not a pleasant thing. I should say, I don’t feel that this summer has been as bad as previous summers, though now I am sure the Humidity Gods are going to bless us with 100+ degrees days next week but for the most part the heat has been management this year.
I guess I can blame the container of shredded chicken that resulted from my chicken broth making this weekend but I had a strong craving for tortilla soup this week. I had planned to make it on Wednesday but after a day with a sick puppy and a choppy swim I was not in the mood to cook, so I pushed it back to Thursday. Scottie then told me later he was really excited about the soup on Wednesday….oops! So I made a point to start the soup as soon as I got home on Thursday. The soup comes together in no time, it was great. Having the chicken already cooked obviously helps and I had cooked the black beans earlier in the week. Dinner was ready in under 30 minutes and that even included some cheese quesadillas.
I used the Ina recipe for Chicken Mexican Soup as a guide but halved it and added in the beans and corn. It seemed heartier to me with these additions. My recipe made enough for two healthy servings with about a quart leftover, enough for two lunches. I topped mine with a squeeze of lime and a bit of cheddar cheese. Scottie’s looked like this:
Then he added about a cup of tortilla chips and a bit more sour cream, it looked like a layered bean dip! Oh well, to each his own! On it’s own this is a super healthy soup. Add toppings at your own risk but it does make it a bit more fun to personalize your bowl, almost like what you would do with chili. Bookmark the recipe and try it when it is a bit more fall-like, hopefully it isn’t too far away!
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Inspired by Ina
2 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 jalapeno peppers
1 quart chicken stock
14 oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. coriander
1/2 t. pepper
1/2 t. salt
2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded or chopped
1 1/2 cups black beans, cooked and drained
1 cup corn frozen or canned
cilantro (optional)-I added in 2 cubes of those frozen cilantro squares you see in the freezer section
In a medium saucepan/stockpot heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion and carrot and cook until soft, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and jalapenos and cook until just soft. Add in broth, tomatoes, spices and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes. Add in chicken, beans, and corn and allow to cook another 10 minutes or so. Add cilantro, if desired. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Top with cheese, sour cream, diced avocado, tortilla chips, lime and/or hot sauce!
