Chicken Tortilla Soup
This Chicken Tortilla Soup is another family favorite to shake up Taco Tuesday. I have worked at perfecting the recipe and I think this is it! After this version last night, my husband said it was the best Chicken Tortilla Soup he’s ever had. So, I guess it’s a keeper.
I order Chicken Tortilla Soup quite often at Mexican Restaurants. To me, there’s nothing more satisfying than a delicious soup and unfortunately, so many seem to fall flat. You can taste the difference when the chef throws things into a pot because they have to put a soup out that day and one that has depth of flavor. A little effort goes a long way!
This soup is a perfect example of that because it is super quick and easy but with the right steps, you can procure an amazing amount of flavor. Since we are in the middle of a pandemic, so many recipes claim to be “pantry friendly” but in reality, no one has those ingredients on hand. Who do they think they’re kidding? I can honestly say that I can almost guarantee you have all (or most) of these ingredients in your pantry to pull this meal together. It’s also a very forgiving dish, so substitutions are totally allowed and encouraged.
I also like my soup to have a little creaminess or umph to it, do you know what I mean? There’s a perfect happy spot of a soup that’s not too brothy but the point before it becomes a stew. This can be achieved through a number of methods. Many recipes call for blending the tomatoes, onions and peppers with a few corn tortillas to make a smooth consistency. You could achieve a similar result by swirling in a Masa slurry toward the end of cooking the soup in order to thicken it a little. The method I chose last night was to add a splash of cream. I felt like it was thick enough and I didn’t want to turn it into a stew, so a splash of cream did the trick. Don’t forget the toppings, it’s part of the fun when everyone can build their own!
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Total Time
1 hour
Course
Soup
Cuisine
Mexican
Servings
6 servings
Equipment
large pot or dutch oven
stirring spoon
chef's knife
cutting board
Ingredients
1 Roasted Chicken Shredded, bones can be reserved to make stock
5 cups Chicken Stock
4 Tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Yellow Onion diced
Kosher Salt & Black Pepper
5 cloves Garlic minced
1 Tbs. Dried Oregano
1 Tbs. Ground Cumin
1 Tbs. Ground Coriander
1 Bay Leaf
1 Chipotle in Adobo chopped, plus 1 Tbs. of the sauce
1 28 oz. can Crushed Tomatoes San Marzano
1 can Fire Roasted Corn
1 can Beans Kidney or Black
3 Tbs. Heavy Cream Optional to make it creamy
2 Tbs. Masa (plus 2-3 Tbs. water) to make a slurry Optional if you want it thicker
4 Corn Tortillas cut into thin strips for frying/topping
Vegetable Oil to cover 1/2" of the bottom of a skillet for frying
1 Avocado diced for topping
Cheese Monterrey Jack or Cotija for topping
1/4 cup Fresh Cilantro chopped and divided for soup and garnish
2 Limes for soup and for garnish
Sour Cream for topping
Instructions
In a large pot or dutch oven, heat extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onion, salt and pepper and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic, dried oregano, coriander, cumin and bay leaf and stir to combine for 2-3 minutes. Then add chopped chipotle in adobo, plus a Tbs. of the sauce, the canned tomatoes and chicken stock. Let simmer for 20 minutes
Meanwhile, add vegetable oil to a separate skillet and fill until it's 1/2" deep, heat to medium high. Fry the corn tortilla strips in batches and remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Add a sprinkle of salt while they're hot and reserve for toppings.
Add the shredded chicken, the drained corn and beans, half of the chopped fresh cilantro and a squeeze of half a lime. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed.
If you want it thicker, add the masa slurry and cook for 10 additional minutes. If you want it creamier, add a splash of heavy cream, stir for 2 minutes and turn off the heat.
Serve with desired toppings, enjoy!
Notes
** If you want to make it creamy, add the splash of cream, if not, omit it.
** If you want to make it thicker, add the slurry of masa/water and cook into the soup and cook for another 10-15 minutes to allow the soup to thicken.