I promised someone weeks ago to get this posted. I apologize for taking so long.
Today I am posting one of my favorite recipes. I love soup. Nothing says fall to me like a large pot of soup. It is comfort food to me. The biggest breakthrough in my soup making history came several year ago when Sandy Patterson of Academie De Cuisine taught me how to make my own stock. If you have never made your own stock, I highly recommend you give it a try. It is not as hard as you think, at least not for chicken. I will devote a blog in the future to making your own stock, but for today just use store bought stock and jump in.
Warning: this has got a bit of heat to it.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
4 cups of cooked chicken (can be rotisserie or any precooked chicken)
2-3 quarts of chicken stock (I make my own. It is way better, but any store version will do.)
1 cup chopped onion
1 poblano pepper chopped
2-3 carrots chopped
2-3 ribs of celery chopped
3 cloves of garlic
2 ears of corn
1 Chipotle Chili in adobo
2 corn tortillas
1 teaspoon of thyme
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 bay leaf
1 -28 oz can of crushed or diced tomatoes
Salt and Pepper to taste. If you are using grocery store stock, you will not need much salt.
Optional vegetables
1 cup each of any or all of the following:
Summer squash
Zucchini
Canned black beans rinsed
Garnish
Lime wedge
Chopped cilantro
Chopped fresh avocado
Baked thin Tortilla strips (Slice corn tortilla and bake in a 400 degree oven until crispy. About 10- 12 minutes)
You start this recipe by chopping everything into small pieces. I prefer a fairly small dice, but if you like chunkier soup you may like a larger dice.
I sweat the onion, carrots, poblano and celery for 2-3 minutes in a large soup pot, before I add the remaining ingredients.
Add the remaining ingredients to you soup pot.
Bring to a low simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.
When you are ready to serve, squeeze the lime into the bowl of soup. Sprinkle with the Cilantro and tortilla strips. Please note: this garnish actually affects the taste. Don’t skip this step.
Enjoy your tasty tortilla soup while you watch the leaves turn!
Aunt Patty's Porch 