Chicken Tortilla Soup
As I sit here on this rainy & chilly day, my mind and appetite turn to soup.
This recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup is a hearty soup that is quick (especially if you use leftover or store-bought rotisserie chicken) and can be easily be made either ahead or after a day at work. Or, almost better yet, what to feed your family the day before a big holiday (hint, hint); this recipe can easily be doubled.
This soup is certainly a recipe that shouts TexMex at you. It is certainly more Tex than Mex – mainly because Mexican cuisine doesn’t use blended chili powders. If any chile powders are used at all, they are of a single chile (i.e. ancho, guajillo).
This soup can also easily be made vegetarian by using vegetable broth and omitting the chicken. If you want the added protein, you can add beans, extra-firm tofu, seitan, tempeh, or even simply extra hominy in place of the chicken.
The ingredients (chicken broth not shown)
The hominy. I like to use both yellow and white. It’s simply a personal preference. There’s absolutely no difference in the flavor. For a brief explanation of what exactly hominy is, go here.
From top: grapeseed oil, cumin, Mexican oregano, black pepper, cayenne pepper, salt, San Antonio chili powder
2 tbsp. vegetable oil (you can also use grapeseed or canola oil)
1 small onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small (4 oz.) can diced green chiles (hot or mild)
-or-
1 small (7 oz.) can salsa verde
1 tbsp. chili powder (I like San Antonio blend)
1 tsp. Mexican oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. cayenne
1 tsp. salt, more to taste
1 tsp. black pepper, more to taste
2 cans hominy, drained
1 15 oz. can chopped tomatoes (I like Muir Glen Fire Roasted)
4 c. chicken broth
4 c. cooked, shredded chicken
Lime juice, to taste
1/2 c. chopped cilantro
Vegetable oil for frying
The condiments
Shredded Cabbage
Chopped Green Onion
Crispy Tortilla Strips
Lime Wedges
Sour Cream
1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Saute the onion and garlic until the onion is soft, about 3-5 minutes.
Sauteing the onions and garlic.
Add the chiles or salsa verde and saute for another 2-3 minutes.
Adding the salsa verde. I used salsa in this recipe because it’s what I had at home. if you are using salsa, be sure to let it cook down by at least half.
2. Add the chili powder, oregano, cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Saute for 1-2 minutes or until the fragrance comes up.
Adding the spices. Be sure to stir pretty much constantly; you want the spices to have a scent (this means the oils are cooking). You want to take care not to burn them.
Add the hominy and tomatoes and saute another 2-3 minutes.
Adding the tomatoes and hominy.
3. Add the chicken broth.
Adding the chicken broth. Once the soup is cooking, be sure to stir frequently to keep the hominy from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Cover the saucepan and bring the broth to a boil. Uncover, lower the heat to medium, and simmer for 30 minutes. Taste for seasoning.
After 30 minutes. The soup should be somewhat thickened from the hominy.
4. While the soup is cooking, make the tortilla strips. Take 6-8 tortillas and cut them into roughly 1/4-inch wide strips.
Tortilla strips. Be sure to use a very sharp knife so you can get even strips without tearing up the tortillas.
Be sure to separate them. Heat a medium (9-inch) skillet with about 1/2-inch of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Test the oil by dropping a strip in the oil; it should immediately sizzle. Fry the strips in small batches until they are crispy.
Frying the strips. Be sure to keep them as separated as possible and fry in small batches. Frying the strips should take no more than 60 – 90 seconds per batch.
Drain the strips on paper towels. (Alternately, you can simply serve the whole tortillas or tortilla chips on the side.)
The finished strips.
5. After the initial cooking time, add the chicken, lime juice, and cilantro. Cook for a further 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning.
Adding the chicken, cilantro, and lime juice. At this point you’re simply heating the chicken through. Be sure to taste for seasoning.
6. Serve the soup with the tortilla strips, cabbage, green onion, extra lime wedges, and sour cream.
The naked finished soup. it’s great just like this.
The fully dressed soup. Perfect for a chilly, rainy night.
Enjoy!
