Saturday, February 18, 2012

Weekend Cooking...Chicken Tortilla Soup

The other day, I was off work and thinking what I should post for my Weekend Cooking...and what I would have for dinner. It was a gray, chilly day, with a bit of drizzle falling on and off. Damp and chilly...
The perfect day for some nice soup.
But what kind?

Well, I was reading Zite ( one of my favorite iPad apps) and saw a recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup. Oh, that would be nice.
Now, I have make Chicken Tortilla Soup in the past and I probably have a recipe, but I decided to Google it and after reading maybe a dozen recipes online, I set off to the supermarket with a plan in my mind. Take a bit from this recipe, a bit from that one. Whatever sounds good.
In fact, there are so many good things you might add to this soup the problem is knowing when to stop, before it become a mishmash.

Caite's Tortilla Soup

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 onion chopped, about a cup
1 red bell pepper, chopped, about a cup
5 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. canned chipolatas in adobo sauce, finely chopped
1 can Rotel brand tomatoes with chilies
4 cups chicken stock
1 can black beans, rinsed
2 cooked boneless chicken breast halves, shredded
2 cups finely shredded cabbage.
2-3 Tbs. cornmeal, mixed in a little water

4 corn tortillas, cut into ¼ wide strips
1 ripe avocado, sliced
1/2 cup shredded cheese
chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime, cut into wedges.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot, add the onion and bell pepper and saute for about a minute. Add the garlic and then the spices and let bloom in the oil.
Add the chipolatas and cook for another minute, then the Rotel tomatoes with all the liquid, the chicken stock and the black beans. Bring to a boil and then reduce and simmer for 30 minutes.
Add the shredded chicken, then the cornmeal slurry and stir well until the soup begins to thicken a bit. Let cook for another 10 minutes. Just before serving add the cabbage and stir in until just wilted.


The tortilla strips...you can fry them in a pan in a little oil until crispy or bake them in the oven. I went with the fried.
To serve, ladle soup in a bowl, top with some diced avocado, cheese, fresh cilantro and some tortilla strips. Finish with a squeeze of lime.

It was, if I do say so myself, excellent.
Perfect for a damp, chilly day.
Very flavorful and a bit spicy, but not too much. If you like things spicy, add more chipolatas in adobo sauce and if you like things very mild, add less...but I would not do away with it all together. It is quite hearty, a meal in itself, with a nice little corn taste from the cornmeal used to thicken it and that nice cheese melting into the soup. Yet the last minute toppings of the cilantro and avocado and that bit of lime juice give it a fresh clean taste, with a little crunch from the cabbage and the tortilla strips.
And you know what? It is even better the next day, but tastes just as fresh when you top it with the cilantro, avocado and tortilla strips.




This is my contribution this to this week's Weekend Cooking.
"Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend."
Be sure to check out the other entries this week. As always, hosted by Beth Fish Reads.


19 comments:

  1. Ahhhhh. I love your version. And would make it over mine in a heartbeat, because most nights I have no problem chopping veggies, frying up tortilla strips and using lovely fresh ingredients.

    I'm going to remember this recipes. I mean cilantro, avocado, lime, chicken breasts ....

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  2. I'm lying in bed with an iPhone and a terrible cold - and now I am having fantasies about someone bring my a bowl of this even though it is breakfast time. :). Btw your pics are great! I especially like the first one!

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  3. I love tortilla soup! Saving your recipe and hope to get to it this week. Wish I had a bowl of it for today, looks so good.

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  4. I have a chicken tortilla soup recipe that I make in the crockpot, but I'm trying yours next time. Love that this recipe includes black beans - yum!

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  5. We love tortilla soup! The only problem is we have a place just 2 miles up the street that sells outstanding tortilla soup that you can get with great jalapeno cheddar bread to serve on the side, so I've lost most of my impetus to make it myself!

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  6. adobo is the yummiest thing in the world.

    and zite is the best app. i think i left my ipad at home. (at least i hope bc its not here...)

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  7. Yum. I love chicken tortilla soup.

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  8. That looks delicious, but I think I would just be lazy about buy the tortilla strips.

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  9. yet, you could, and that would be fine.

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  10. I've never made tortilla soup before. This looks delicious and very tempting. Thanks for the recipe. Love your photos!

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  11. here's my favorite tortilla soup recipe ..


    Tortilla Soup

    Garlic
    Medium Onion
    1 large can crushed tomatoes
    1 can whole kernel corn
    1 can black beans (drained/rinsed)
    1 large container chicken broth
    1 envelope Taco seasoning mix
    1 can chopped green chilies
    Dash or two of oregano, cilantro.. red pepper flakes for the adventurous

    Chop onion and mince/press garlic (as you prefer) and cook til limp
    add rest of ingredients and bring everything to a boil .. then simmer for 20 min.

    Serve w/tortilla chips and grate some sharp cheddar or jack cheese on top .. and if you really feel crazy plop a dollop of sour cream on top.

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  12. I've made tortilla soup, but never thought to stir cornmeal in. That could be quite a wonderful touch!

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  13. Wow, that does look nice. I wonder if I could come up with a vegetarian version?

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  14. absolutely Shelly!..I actually meant to write about that in the post.

    Just use vegetable stock and replace the chichen with some additional veggies. I would..and actually meant to..add corn. And maybe add another type of bean or some rice or other grain.

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  15. I adore tortilla soup and I must say, your recipe sounds and looks especially inciting. I can't wait to give it a try!

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  16. I've never had canned chipolatas in adobo sauce but I wonder if that might have spiced up a white chicken chili that I made the other day. I hate when I know something I cooked needs "something" but can't figure out what that something is!

    Either way, this sounds wonderful! I think the best recipes come from taking a bit of this and a bit of that from others.

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  17. oh my goodness, all those wonderful ingredients. Sounds delicious.

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  18. Just cruising through a second time for the recipe. ;)

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