Quarantinechef: chicken tortilla soup

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I’m 99% sure I only get invited to writing retreats because I often make this for the group. Today’s quarantine recipe: chicken tortilla soup!

the avocado was almost past its prime…but then, aren’t we all almost past our prime?

the avocado was almost past its prime…but then, aren’t we all almost past our prime?

This is one of my all-time favorite recipes. I found it on Chowhound years ago, so you should check out their instructions, but this is what I do.

INGREDIENTS:

  • oil (I use olive)

  • 1/2 onion, diced

  • 1/2 carrot, peeled and diced

  • 1/2 celery stalk, diced

  • 1/2 red bell pepper, diced

  • 1 garlic clove, minced

  • 1/2 tsp chili powder

  • 1 tsp ground coriander

  • 1 tsp ground cumin

  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano

  • 1/2 tsp paprika

  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

  • 4 c chicken stock or broth

  • 1 c water

  • 1/2 c canned crushed tomatoes

  • 1.5 tsp kosher salt

  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

  • 4 corn tortillas cut into 1/2in pieces

  • 1.5 c shredded cooked chicken [I always put in more than this because I like chicken - see production note]

  • 1/2 c heavy cream

  • more salt and pepper

note: the Chowhound recipe has options for making tortilla strips to finish this, but I never do it

INSTRUCTIONS:

Step 0: use a med/large pot or dutch oven (I use my 5.5qt Le Creuset dutch oven because I’m fancy)

Step 1: dice 1/2 carrot, 1/2 onion, 1/2 celery stalk, 1/2 red bell pepper. See production note about what to do with the fact that Chowhound has v. odd measurements here.

Step 2: heat approx 2tbsp of oil over medium heat. Add carrot, onion, celery, and red bell pepper + a bit of salt and pepper and cook until softened (6-8min).

Step 3: add 1 clove minced garlic + spices (chili powder, coriander, cumin, oregano, paprika, and cayenne) and cook 1min (don’t burn it! see production note).

Step 4: add 4c chicken broth, 1c water, crushed tomatoes, 1.5tsp salt, and 1/2tsp pepper. Bring to a boil.

Step 5: add diced tortillas and turn heat to low. Simmer for an hour or more until the tortillas have essentially melted into the soup.

Step 6: add cooked/shredded chicken + 1/2c heavy cream, and combine. Simmer another 10-15min to ensure the flavors have melded.

Step 7: enjoy! I usually serve with avocados, monterey jack cheese, and sour cream.

PRODUCTION NOTES:

  • Chowhound’s recipe uses odd amounts (like, who wants to use half a carrot??? What are you gonna do with that other half carrot??). When I make this, I either a) make a double batch of soup immediately, or b) chop double veg and freeze half the veg for a future batch. Freezing the veggies makes for an easy way to have this soup fresh another time.

  • Cooking and shredding chicken is a bummer. The best method (taught to me by Anne Zoelle on one of those writing retreats that I got invited to because I made this soup) is to buy a rotisserie chicken, tear all the meat off the carcass while it’s still warm (doesn’t that sound visceral and unsexy? but that’s what soup is - visceral and unsexy), throw the meat in a bag, and tear at it through the plastic until it’s shredded. Your fingers stay clean and make it look like you’re part of the bourgeoisie, but you have a bag of shredded chicken.

  • Don’t burn your spices: when I have to add this many spices at once, I pre-measure them and them dump them all in at the same time. Six spices is too many to fuss with in the middle of cooking.

Enjoy! If you make this, let me know how it turns out!