Chicken tortilla soup has got to be one of my favorite soups, but I find to my dismay that many recipes end up cluttering what could be a crisp, clean, spicy, soup perfect for all times of the year with a mess of ingredients that renders it more of a stew than a soup. More isn't necessarily better. I based this recipe on a couple I found online, with judicious incorporation of other recipes ideas and reviews and ultimately my own judgment.
Today's Specimen
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts (about 4 cups)
- 5 serrano peppers, fine dice
- 3 med. tomatoes, large dice
- 3 med. white onions, large dice
- 2 cloves garlic, fine dice
- 8 corn tortillas, sliced in half then in strips
- 2 (14 oz.) cans chicken broth, low sodium and low fat
- 1 tbsp. red (ancho) chili powder
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- ¼ tsp. salt
- High-temperature cooking oil
- Avocados (at least 2), meat diced
- Cilantro, fresh and at least 2 cups chopped
- Cheddar or Jack cheese, at least two cups grated
Directions
- If you're going to shred chicken, the best way to cook it is to steam it. Thirty minutes ought to suffice to fully cook two breasts. Use a steamer tray or basket in a large pot.
- While that's going on fry the tortilla strips, one of two tortillas at a time, in a small or medium pot or saucepan, in about an inch of oil on medium-high temperature, setting aside in a bowl or plate lined with paper towels.
- Remove the chicken when it's cooked and cut the breasts in half and then in strips and shred by hand or with a masher.
- Prepare all the vegetable ingredients and add with the shredded chicken and cans of chicken broth and about two-and-a-half cans of water, and the spices of course, to the large pot used to steam the chicken. Turn the temperature to medium-high and cover and wait for it to boil.
- Once the soup comes to a boil, bring the temperature down to low and allow to simmer covered for a couple hours, then uncovered for about forty minutes to reduce it down a little. You want about three-and-a-half to four quarts: for the soup to be a thick broth with a fairly high density of vegetable material, but neither overly watery nor overly thick.
- While the soup is simmering you can grate the cheese, dice the avocado meat, and chop the cilantro and set aside. The amount is dependent on how many servings of soup you anticipate dishing out.
- When serving the soup, add about a handful each of tortilla strips, diced avocado meat, cheese, and sprinkle with cilantro.
Next Time in the Lab
Yet again I find myself enormously pleased with the results of my culinary expedition and can think of very little I would make in the way of changes to improve this dish.
- Add another clove of garlic.
- Decrease the serranos by one to four or try a couple large jalapeños instead.
- Cut up lime wedges to serve the soup with.
