Chicken Tortilla Soup

We like this soup a lot, and don’t care that it doesn’t resemble most tortilla soups. My sister’s, for example, is a spicy tomato broth to which chicken, cheese, tortilla chips and other items are added. It’s tasty. Applebee’s version is very cheesy and smooth. Also tasty. But we love our veggies, so this hearty (and mild for the hubby) version is perfect for us.

And most of the ingredients are always in my pantry: corn, black beans, crushed tomatoes, hominy, chicken broth. Sometimes I cook chicken for it, and sometimes I shred rotisserie chicken. You can use just about any tortilla chip. I’ve even used blue corn and pumpkin. The crunched-up pieces help thicken the soup and make a nice, crunchy garnish if you can afford the calories.

Joe (who edits this for me) wanted me to relate a story about mispronunciation. I was in line to rent the food movie Tortilla Soup (this was “back in the day”). A guy next to me read the title aloud, as TOR-til-la. Dude, it’s tor-TEA-ya. Of course I didn’t say that. The same thing happened when I bought the movie elsewhere, so it’s still a joke in our house.

I adapted this from a recipe on allrecipes.com, increasing the vegetables and adding spices and lime juice. I use mild ground chilies that I buy online. It adds flavor but not heat.

 

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 white, yellow or sweet onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tsp. mild ground chilies, such as Santa Cruz brand

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes

2 14.5-oz. cans chicken broth

1 14.5-oz. can (drained) or 1 1/2 cups whole corn kernels

1 can white or golden hominy, drained

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (4-oz.) can chopped green chile peppers (optional)

1 tbsp. lime juice

1 large handful of tortilla chips, your choice

2 boneless chicken-breast halves, cooked (or rotisserie), shredded

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Crushed tortilla chips for garnish (optional)

Chopped avocado for garnish

Sour cream for garnish

Shredded Monterey jack, Cheddar or Colby-jack mix, for garnish

 

In a medium stock pot, heat oil over medium heat. Saute onion until soft. Add garlic and cook another minute. Stir in chili powder, oregano, cumin, tomatoes and broth. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes.

Stir in corn, hominy, chilies, beans, lime juice, the handful of tortilla chips (crushed), cilantro and chicken. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

Ladle soup into bowls, and top with garnishes as desired.