Authentic Mexican Food: Amazing Chicken Tortilla Soup

No joke this Chicken Tortilla soup is amazing! I love it, my whole family loves it and if we had a dog that ate our left overs, I am sure he would love it.  Here’s the most important part, I can say my 100% Mexican mother who is an amazing cook, loves it.

The last time I made this soup my 5 year old who is a fickle eater, decided that today was the day he didn’t like avocados.  As always he scrutinizes each bite so there is no hiding anything.  He said, “mommy what is this green thing?”  I responded “just cilantro.”  Then I realized that he was talking about the avocado.  I didn’t correct myself and he ate the whole thing.  Oh, the little white lies we tell as parents to get our kids to eat.  What little white lie have you told to get your child to eat?

Okay, now back to my soup, this little bowl contains all the goodness of my country.  One of the key steps in making Mexican salsa or other recipes that call for tomatoes, is roasting them.   I can totally tell if the tomatoes have been roasted when tasting salsa, I know I am so talented (he, he, he).  It makes all of the difference in the taste, though.

When I make this soup my kitchen is filled with memories of my childhood.  The aroma whisked me away a few years back, to my mom in the kitchen wearing her little apron flipping the tomatoes, chiles and bell peppers so diligently making sure they don’t burn.

If there was such a thing as scratch and sniff on your screen, I would totally send you the aromas in my kitchen when I’m whipping this soup up.

Amazing Chicken Tortilla Soup

-created and made in my cocina (kitchen)

Ingredients:

• 1 can of corn drained
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 1 can of hominy drained (optional)
• 1 can of black beans, not drained
• 1/4cp of cilantro chopped
• 3 tbl corn meal
• 3cps of cubed cooked chicken

or 2cps of shredded rotisserie chicken recipe here

• 4 cps of chicken broth
• 1 whole onion + 1/2 small onion diced
• 1 red bell pepper
• 2-3 medium sized tomatoes
• 3 garlic cloves

Spices:

• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 4 tsp cumin (you can use less but we don’t mess around when it comes to cumin)
• Salt to taste

If you want a kick to it add 2 tsp of Chipotle seasoning.

Toppings: ( use all of them or just some, but definitely don’t leave out the chips and lime)

• tortilla chips, avocado, Monterrey Jack cheese, green onions, cilantro, lime, sour cream

Directions

Fire Roasted: (this step makes all the difference in the flavor)

1. Place tomatoes, whole garlic cloves, onions and red bell over fire on a comal/griddle.

2. Flip until all sides are roasted, brownish. Some people peel off the brown, I don’t.

2. Puree just until it’s a little bit chunky. You may need to add a little bit of water if using a blender.

Soup:

1. In a pot heat oil and add, 1/2 small onion diced, 1 minced garlic clove and stir in spices chili powder, oregano, cumin.

2. Add chicken broth, can of tomatoes, corn, tomato puree, hominy, cornmeal, beans, cilantro and chicken. Simmer for 20min.

3. Top each bowl with tortilla chips ( a must), avocado slices, cheese, cilantro and green onions. Squeeze a lime over it.

Don’t skip the roasting, I promise you won’t regret it! If you are a vegetarian you can still enjoy the goodness and just leave out the meat.