Tortilla Soup

Updated version of tortilla soup, perfect for when you have leftover rotisserie chicken, chicken taco/or fajita meat is great too. I have discovered the magic of pureeing corn tortillas with broth to thicken and flavor the soup. It’s ok if they are a little stale or a few days past their prime, the soup will give them new life. If you don’t have corn tortillas you could probably use a handful of corn chips for the same effect, just pay attention to the amount of salt they may add.

If you don’t have leftovers, this recipe is written for braising chicken thighs. If you are using leftovers, just skip the browning of the chicken part. The bacon adds a nice smokey element but the soup will be fine without it.

What you need:

1 lb of boneless skinless chicken thighs

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 bell pepper, finely chopped

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

2 slices of good quality bacon, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp crushed chipotle chiles

2 tsp cumin

1 1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp dried oregano

salt and pepper

28 oz tomato purée

1 quart low sodium chicken broth

2-3 small corn tortillas

*Tortilla chips, grated cheese, sour cream, and hot sauce, fresh cilantro and avocado also great additions (The Chipotle Tabasco is great in this soup).

Begin by sautéing the peppers, onion, carrots, and bacon with a pinch of salt and pepper until the bacon begins to crisp up (about 5 minutes). Scoot veggies to the outside of the pot. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pot. Brown chicken on all sides, add the spices and allow them to become fragrant. Then add the tomatoes and deglaze the bottom of the pot, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom. Now stir in half of the broth. Bring to a simmer.

Meanwhile, put the other half of the chicken broth in a blender and add the corn tortillas. Allow them to sit for a minute or two to soften up. Puree until smooth. Add the broth/tortilla puree to the soup pot. After about 20 minutes the chicken should be falling apart, remove the chicken and shred the it with a fork. Now return the chicken to the soup, its finished and ready to enjoy. Serve with crushed tortilla chips, and your favorite accompaniments.

This will be even better the second day : )