Chicken Tortilla Soup

Whenever I try a recipe for the first time on my family, I try and make it as simple possible. Taste test it as I go and decide on re-working the ingredients in the next batch I make. I’ve always wanted to give Tortilla Soup a try. I’m sure there’s a correct way to make it somewhere out there, so forgive me if I didn’t follow exactly how it should be made. With this recipe I used my taste buds to guide me with the correct amount of each ingredient and this is what I came up with:

Summary: An easy soup to make that is flavorful and filling!  Your whole family will enjoy!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

• 2-3 Seasoned Chicken Breasts, shredded
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 2 15-ounce cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 14-5 ounce cans diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 cup Picante salsa
• 1 cup corn
• 3 1/2-4 cups chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 Tablespoons taco seasoning
• Baked Flour Tortillas, cut into strips
• Shredded Cheese

Directions:

• In a skillet, saute onion and garlic in 1 Tablespoon olive oil until tender.
• In a stockpot, add all ingredients except flour tortillas and cheese. Bring to a boil and let simmer 4-5 hours.
• 20 minutes before serving, pre-heat oven to 250 degrees. Place flour tortillas on oven racks and bake up slightly crisp. Remove from oven, let cool 5 minutes before slicing into strips.
• Serve Tortilla soup with tortilla strips and shredded cheese.

Noel’s Quick Notes: The amount of chicken stock will vary depending on the size of your stockpot. I added enough chicken stock to where it wasn’t overpowering the rest of the ingredients. Soup will taste even better when re-heated and served the next day as the flavors have a chance to meld together.  The next batch, I’m going to try adding some type of roasted mild chile pepper.

Variations: Serve with sliced avacado or a dollop of sour cream.

Serves 6-8

Cooking Time:4-6 hours

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Cooking Time: 4-6 hours cooking; 10 minutes prep time

Meal Type: Lunch or Dinner

My Family Rating: 4.50