Chicken Tortilla Soup
Description
We enjoy this delicious with soup with our homemade Guacamole and our Avocado, Cilantro and Lime Dressing with Mexican-style Salad (and you can access each of these recipes by clicking on each of those titles).
At a Glance
Equipment
No special culinary equipment is needed to prepare this wonderful Mexican soup.
Ingredients
2 boneless/skinless Chicken Breasts
2 boneless/skinless Chicken Thighs
2 White Onions, finely chopped (about 2 cups)
4 cloves of Garlic, minced
2 Jalapeños, chop 1-½ Jalapeños very finely and slice the other half into ½-inch slices/rings (more or less may be used based on preference)
5 cups of Chicken Stock
2 or 3 Tomatoes, diced (about 2 cups)
1 can of fire-roasted Tomatoes (14.5 ounces)
1 can of Black Beans (15 ounces)
1 can of Black Olives, sliced and drained (3.8 ounces)
1 cup of frozen Corn, or 1 cup of canned Corn
¼ cup of Cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon of Cumin
Juice of 1 Lime
15 small tomatillos, cleaned (to prepare them, heat them in boiling water for 7-10 minutes, then put them in food processor to create a green sauce. About ¾-1 cup)
12 corn tortillas cut in strips and cooked/fried in ½ cup of Canola or Vegetable oil in a skillet, until crisp in batches (about 2-½ cups of chips will be used in the soup and the remainder will be used for garnish)
3 tablespoons of Green Tabasco Sauce (optional)
2 tablespoons of Green Cholula Sauce (optional)
3 tablespoons of Canola oil or Vegetable Oil
Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste
For the Soup Garnish – the quantities will depend on preference (about 1 tsp.-1 tbsp of each per bowl of soup, based on preference):
Cilantro, coarsely chopped
Red onion, coarsely chopped
Avocado, coarsely chopped and sprinkled with the juice of half of a lime
Cheddar Cheese
Sour Cream
Tortilla Chips (either freshly made or store-bought)
A favorite Hot Sauce – such as Green Tabasco Sauce and/or Green Cholula Sauce (optional)
Directions
In a large stockpot or a Dutch oven, add 3 tablespoons of oil, and heat the onion, the garlic, and finely chopped Jalapeños, and cook them until they are translucent. Add all the ingredients for the soup to the pot, except the tortilla chips. Add the whole chicken pieces into the soup, which will keep them moist and juicy. (The chicken pieces will be removed later and shredded/chopped.) Bring the ingredients to a simmer, and then cook the soup on medium for about 30 minutes -- stirring periodically so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pot. After 30 minutes, turn the heat to low, and remove the four pieces of chicken and place them on a cutting board to cool for a few minutes. Cut the chicken into chunks and then add the chicken back to the soup, add the tortilla chips, and cook all of it for another 10-15 minutes. Then remove the pot from the heat and serve it in your serving bowls. Place the various garnishes in separate bowls on the side, so that you and your guests can garnish the soup based on preferences.
