Light & Summery Chicken Tortilla Soup

 

We had some limes and Corona's on hand and were in the mood for something Mexican, but we didn't want it to take too long or be too heavy. YiRan suggested a tortilla soup, as we also had a bag of stale tortilla chips. We'd never made a tortilla soup before, but the concept sounded appealing. A quick Google search gave us some potential recipes to work from, and we got to it.

While spring/summer isn't necessarily the best time for soup, this one is light and easy enough that it can certainly be enjoyed even on a fairly hot day. It's got a lot of flavor, and a great texture. It'll have you going back for seconds for sure.

And yes, it pairs wonderfully with a Corona.

Making the Dish
What You'll Need

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 bell pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, diced
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 tbsp flour or cornstarch
15 oz diced tomatoes
15 oz chicken stock
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 - 2 cups smashed tortilla chips (stale is okay)
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp oregano
sliced limes for garnish

Get started by making the sofrito - simmering the pepper and onion in the oil with a touch of salt for about 5 - 7 minutes until nice and soft. Towards the end of that time add in the garlic and cook for a minute until fragrant.

Next, add in the chicken and bring the heat up a bit. Cook until the chicken is opaque. You don't need to cook it all the way through at this point as it will continue to cook in the soup, so just until the chicken is opaque on all sides will be enough.

Add in the flour/cornstarch and stir together to combine. Then, it's time to slowly drizzle in the chicken stock. Stir continuously as you do this so that the flour will incorporate, and a nice thick soup forms.

Add in the diced tomatoes, stir, and all the seasonings. Then add in the juice from the lime, and the cheddar cheese. Stir together so that the cheese melts and incorporates into the soup. Let the soup simmer on low for about 20 minutes. It will reduce a bit, and the chicken will finish cooking.

Then, add in the tortilla chips and stir together. Let cook for another 5 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. The chips will blend into the soup, giving you a very nice texture overall.










Finally, serve into a bowl and garnish with the slices of lime. Dig in and enjoy!

One year ago: Halibut in Bombay Tomato Sauce