Chicken Tortilla Soup
I am a soup person, so as soon as the weather starts to cool I’m ready to cozy up to a nice warm bowl of soup! Not so fun fact, I burn my tongue/roof of my mouth EVERY.SINGLE.TIME I eat soup; one would think that by now I would have learned to let the damn soup cool for long enough, but nope…..somehow what I think is long enough, is in fact, never actually long enough. The first spoonful always gets me. If you are also one of these people, you get it!
If I am in a rush, and we want a quick last minute soup dinner, I have been known to just use boneless skinless chicken breasts and replace some of the water with chicken stock to still have the perfect flavor! Leftover chicken? Yep, same concept! Even my not a soup lover husband requests Chicken Tortilla Soup, so that’s saying something!
Chicken Tortilla Soup:
*NOTE: if using all chicken breasts, subbing about 4 cups chicken stock as part of the cooking liquid will add extra flavor; when using part chicken thighs or a whole chicken you will get enough flavor while the meat is simmering to just use all water
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts AND 1 1/2 lbs chicken thighs or 1 whole chicken or 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
approximately 10-12 cups water
1 large yellow or white onion, diced
2 small cans diced green chilis (or roast 2-3 fresh poblano peppers and dice)
1-2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
28oz can crushed tomatoes
14oz can diced tomatoes
for spicier add about 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle, cayenne, or red pepper flakes
you could also add corn and/or chopped bell peppers
Place chicken into a large stock pot (6-8 quart) with enough water (or part chicken stock) to cover meat and fill pot 1/2 to 3/4 full, approximately 10-12 cups total; add onion, garlic, and spices; bring to a boil over high heat. Let chicken thighs and breasts boil for 20-30 minutes before reducing heat slightly to a simmer, a whole chicken will need to boil for about 45 minutes before reducing the heat to a simmer. Continue simmering for at least 30-40 minutes, or until chicken is tender and will easily shred with a fork. Use a slotted spoon or tongs to remove chicken from pot and place on a plate or bowl to cool for a few minutes before using a fork to shred into pieces. While waiting for chicken to cool/shred, reduce heat to medium-low and add diced green chilis, cilantro, crushed tomatoes, and diced tomatoes to the pot. Return shredded chicken to the liquid and let simmer for another 15-20 minutes before serving.
Top each bowl of soup with- grated cheddar cheese, cilantro, avocado, sour cream, tortilla chips
We also like to add black beans and mexican restaurant style rice to the bottom of the bowl, add the soup on top, and then top with cheese, cilantro, avocado, sour cream and tortilla chips/strips.