Hello! Before you get all excited to read what cool new post this blog has to offer, let me stop you right there.  It’s time to get really excited because, yes, this is not Debbie writing.  Fortunately, good ‘ol Deb here decided to let her daughter, Jamie, (that’s me!) take a whack at blogging.  So buckle up readers and followers (all 3 of you?) for an exciting glimpse of what it’s like to be a 19 year old girl living all alone for the first time, a good 2,000 miles away from her family in the—rather stormy—city of Houston, Texas.  

Whenever I tell people that I’m living in Houston for the summer, they always ask…..why..?  Why would you ever leave the great state that is California, equipped with superb weather surrounded by mountains and beaches and awesome food? And for a second, I nod and smile, and in my head wonder if I am, in fact, a crazy person for doing such a thing. Houston definitely is different from Los Gatos.  It rains here, a lot.  And I’m not talking just a light drizzle every now and then.  I’m talking hurricanes and tropical storms(whaddup trop storm Bill?) that DUMP rain and wind onto Houston and cause flash floods and rattle the windows in my room. 

Did I mention that it’s a constant 90-plus degrees, too?

I also am not in possession of a car, which is quite inconvenient to get around Houston, and if it weren’t for my 8-5 job, I would probably stay holed up in my room watching Netflix all day—which is what I do after I get home from work.  But after that second is over, I realize that I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Houston is an awesome city, once you get out and about.  It’s diverse and fast-paced and always fun to explore.  For once in my life I’m earning a steady paycheck, paying rent, buying my own food, navigating through a completely new city, and making my own decisions.  I feel like a grown-up, and I’m pretty darn proud of myself.

Have You Eaten Yet?

But what you never realize before you start living on your own is how much you’ll miss your mom.  I never notice until I go home and follow her around like a puppy dog.  So, on days when I especially miss her, I like to cook recipes that she always makes me.  The other day, I decided to make her chicken tortilla soup—a slightly spicy, warm, and cheesy bowl of goodness that reminds me of home.

Note:  Skip the tortillas and serve tortilla chips on the side for folks to add with other garnishes, Or fry tortilla strips and serve them on the side instead of adding to the soup. Yes, they thicken the soup but sometimes I’m going for a lighter soup.

Sometimes my mom will add corn or black beans to the soup transforming the soup into a hearty meal in a bowl!  It is a super flexible soup, add any veggies you like, chayote, and squash would go well.  Think of this as a yummy version of Stone Soup.

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Chicken Tortilla Soup

A delicious South of the Border Chicken Soup!

Course soul food, Soup

Cuisine Mexican, tex-mex

Keyword Chicken Tortilla soup

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

The Soup

• 1/2-1 cup chopped yellow onion Oh for goodness sakes, 1 medium onion, use the whole thing
• 3 cloves garlic peeled and finely chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin like cumin? Add more
• 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder spicier? Add more
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 8 cups fat-skimmed chicken broth
• 14 ounces fire-roasted tomatoes (canned) diced canned tomatoes can be substituted
• 4 ounce can of Dice Green Chilis or use any fresh pepper, green bell pepper, Anaheim pepper, saute' with onions. Or you can char-grill them and peel and dice and add to soup.
• 1 1/2 pounds boned, skinned chicken breasts or start with bone-in chicken breasts, bones add flavor. Allow to simmer a little longer,~ 15-20 minutes.
• Salt
• 6 corn tortillas 6 in. wide See notes for substitute

The Garnishes

• 1 firm-ripe avocado cubed or thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped
• 8 ounces Any cheese that melts would work Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Mozarella, Cotija
• Diced green onions or white onions
• Tortilla strips or chips
• 1 lime cut into wedges

Adds-feel free to add more veggies or beans to this soup!

• 1 cup Corn, canned or frozen
• 1 15 ounce can Black Beans, drained
• 1 chayote, zuchinni-diced and added to soup during simmer

Instructions

• In a 5- to 6-quart nonstick pan over medium heat, stir onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, chili powder, and pepper until spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Add broth, tomatoes (including juice), and green chilies. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Add chicken breasts to the broth and return it to a boil over high heat then reduce heat immediately and simmer until chicken is cooked through (cut to test), about 10 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, stack tortillas and cut into 1/8-inch-wide strips. Add to boiling broth. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. This is the traditional way of making tortilla soup. Add optional vegetables, corn or beans at this point also. See notes for blasphemous shortcuts, lol...
• Shred chicken. Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit and peel it. Thinly slice or cube and place in a shallow bowl. Shred cheese and place in a bowl.
• Before serving, season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into soup bowls, garnish with cilantro, avocado, green onions and cheese. I usually leave all these fixings in bowls for folks to help themselves!