Chicken Tortilla Soup

Now that the gluttony of Super Bowl Sunday is over, it's time to think about healthier foods that are fit for winter.  I have a hard time getting excited about salad and cold protein shakes in the dead of winter.  The thermometer has barely passed 18 degrees for days and so it's time to look for a good soup recipe.

One of my favorites is Tortilla Soup.  It turns out there are a lot of variations of this soup.  Some have more of a broth base and others a roasted tomato and chili base.  This soup is made hearty by pureeing the vegetables and a few soft corn tortillas before finishing..  One thing all tortilla soups have in common are a variety of  toppings.  Monterrey Jack cheese, fried tortilla strips, pepitas, lime juice, cilantro, avocado pieces and the list goes on.  Guests can make the soup their own right at the table.

This can be made vegetarian by using vegetable stock and either tofu or more vegetables in place of the chicken.  It is also a delicious sauce for grilled chicken or pork when you have a little leftover. If you don't have chicken or want something simpler you can always dice some smoked turkey deli meat and add it to the soup.  When reheating it may be necessary to add additional stock - the soup thickens considerably over time.

Enjoy!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Grilled chicken:
I prefer grilling the chicken to get a nice smokey flavor added to the soup.
Marinate 2 chicken breasts for approximately 1 hour in:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon allspice
juice from one lime
1/4 teaspoon of pepper

Grill meat during final stage of soup preparation (when you add the zucchini to the soup).

For the soup:
Saute in 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil until limp:
1 cup chopped sweet onion

Add and saute until fragrant:
1 tablespoon minced garlic
 2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
dash of dried crushed red pepper

Add and simmer until thick:
1 28 oz can of chopped tomatoes with juices

Using a stick blender or regular blender puree the ingredients until almost smooth.

Return to pan and add:
3 - 4 cups of stock (I prefer chicken)
1 cup thin sliced or diced carrots
1/2 cup diced celery
3/4 cup of diced red and yellow pepper (I used the Tinkerbell peppers and thinly sliced them)
2 CORN tortillas (torn up in pieces)

Simmer until carrots are beginning to soften and then add:
1 small zucchini thinly sliced and grilled chicken that has been diced into bite size pieces.

While the soup is simmering grill your chicken and prepare the toppings:

Freshly shaved Monterrey Jack Cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
lime wedges for squeezing juice
Pepitas (Mexican pumpkin seeds - they are smaller and usually greenish in color)
Toasted or fried tortilla strips.

For the tortilla strip garnish - cut one flour tortilla in thin strips.  Spray with PAM or other spray oil and lightly salt.  Toast in oven at 350 for 4 - 5 minutes until golden brown and crunchy.

Bill and I like to serve this soup over basmati rice with slices of grilled chicken and the other toppings.  This truly makes an enjoyable meal.