This. Is. Incredible. Very, very, rich and you nearly can't believe it came out of your own kitchen.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Penzey's One
2 6-oz chicken breasts
3 8" flour tortillas
1 T olive oil or butter (melted)
1/2 tsp coarse salt
4 c stock
1 16-oz jar salsa
Garnishes:
sour cream
Monterey-Jack cheese, shredded
cilantro, chopped
avocado, sliced
scallions, sclied
lime wedges
To poach chicken, bring 6 of water to a boil. Add the raw chicken and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and cover. Let sit for 30 minutes in the hot water. Drain and then shred chicken.
While you are poaching the chicken, you can also bake the tortillas. Brush both sides of tortillas with oil, sprinkle lightly with salt. Place on a cookie sheet and cut into strips (a pizza cutter does the job). Place into a COLD oven. Turn oven to 375. When oven reaches temperature, turn off oven but don't open the door until it cools down (about 30 minutes). Tortilla strips will be perfectly cooked.
In a stockpot, simmer broth, shredded chicken, and salsa over medium heat until heated through, about 10 minutes. Serve the soup with the tortilla strips, and toppings.
I made this soup so often in the 1990s, but frankly had forgotten about it. Flipping through this cookbook, I found this recipe and was flooded with memories. When I was in grad school, this soup was my "feeling decadent" food and reminded me of something people might eat after hitting the slopes -- a thing I have never done. A few decades long, and with a lot more experience with cooking, I realize that this is basically a chicken curry with a thin sauce and the rice already in the meal -- but don't let that in any way discourage you! It's delicious as is and is a wonderful take on what is otherwise chicken and rice soup. I have become a fan of using rotisserie chickens, especially during the pandemic. They are so cheap, and I can use the meat in a soup like this on the day-of grocery shopping, and, crunch the bones down for the freezer for making stock in the future. Of course, this soup can be made with a fresh chicken, but I have modified the recipe bel...
Comments