Chicken Tortilla Soup

Look. Nothing beats a deeply flavorful soup on a rainy or cold day. This one brings back memories of summer, but can be made any time of year. This makes a big batch, perfect for making multiple meals or freezing for a lunch a few weeks later.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Makes ~8-12 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 Tbs Olive Oil

• .33 C Diced Jalapenos

• .5 C Diced Yellow Onion

• 1 Tbs Kosher Salt

• 32 Oz Chicken Stock

• 6 Guajillo or New Mexico Chiles, seeds, and stems removed

• 3 Cloves Garlic, Minced

• 25 Oz Tomato Puree

• 1 Tbs Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

• 1.5 Tbs Ground Cumin

• .5 Tbs Coriander

• 1 Tbs Adobo Sauce from Canned Chiles in Adobo (Optional Chipotle for Extra Heat)

• 1 Tsp Canella (Cinnamon)

• 2.5 Lbs Chicken

• 2 C Black Beans

• 2 C Yellow Corn

• .5 C Chopped Cilantro

• 2 Tbs Lime Juice

Garnish

• 2 Corn Tortillas, Cut into ¼ inch strips

• Shredded Mexican Cheese Blend

• Sliced Avocado

• Pickled Red Onions

• Diced Fresh Tomatoes

• Lime

• Cotija Cheese

Technique

1. Heat 1 Tbs Olive Oil in a stock pot over medium heat
   

2. Add diced jalapenos, yellow onion, 1 Tbs kosher salt, and saute until onions are translucent and jalapenos are soft.
   

3. In a separate saucepan, heat 16 Oz Chicken Stock over medium-high heat, once it reaches a boil, add the guajillo or New Mexico chiles and remove from heat to rehydrate. About 10 minutes.
   

4. In the stockpot, add the minced garlic to the onion and jalapenos. Saute until fragrant and add 16 Oz of chicken stock, the tomato puree, black pepper, cumin, coriander, canela, adobo sauce, and a pinch of kosher salt. Stir to incorporate.
   

5. Once the chiles have rehydrated in the separate saucepan, add the optional chipotle from the chipotle in adobo sauce for heat. Use an immersion blender, or work in batches in a standard blender to blend the chicken stock and chiles until completely smooth.
   

6. Add the chile puree to the stock pot. Stir to incorporate. Cover, and reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes on medium-low heat.
   

7. While the soup base is cooking, prepare the grilled chicken. Preheat a grill to its highest heat setting. Slice the chicken breasts into thin filets and place them into a ziplock bag. Remove one cup of soup base and pour it into a plastic bag to season the chicken.

8. Once the grill is preheated, sear the chicken. You do not need to cook it all the way through, only to add char to the chicken. Once charred, dice the chicken and add to the stock pot with the soup base. Simmer for an additional 30 minutes.
   

9. Add the black beans, corn .5 C chopped cilantro, and lime juice. Mix to incorporate and simmer for an additional 10 minutes uncovered before serving.
   

10. To garnish:

• Sautee the corn tortilla strips in vegetable oil until crispy. Remove from the pan and season with a pinch of kosher salt.

• Ladle the soup into a soup bowl.

• Add 3 slices of avocado, pickled red onion, diced tomatoes, shredded Mexican cheese blend, tortilla strips, cilantro, cotija cheese and lime wedge.