Chicken Tortilla Soup
A delicious South of the Border Chicken Soup!
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!