In the Kitchen with Jason: Chicken Tortilla Soup

The tortilla soup that I have had in the past has always left me unsatisfied, leaving me wishing for something else. Well, not this soup. Not only is it delicious, but it is also rather easy to make as well.

Trust me, it is as delicious as it looks.

Ingredients for soup

• 1 Tbsp EVOO
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 3 cups cooked and shredded chicken breast
• 1 cup frozen corn
• Shredded cheese for garnish

Directions for soup

• Heat the EVOO in a dutch oven or a soup pot over medium heat
• Add the onion and the garlic to the pot and cook, stirring for about 3 minutes.
• Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, and spices to the pot.
• Bring to a boil.
• Add the chicken, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
• Remove the cover, add the corn, recover, and cook for 10 more minutes. 
• Spoon into bowls and garnish with the shredded cheese and tortilla chips.

Ingredients for tortilla chips

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 6 corn tortillas

 Directions for tortilla chips

• Cut the tortillas into 1/2 inch strips.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium high heat.
• Add a single layer of the tortilla strips to the oil.
• Cook for about 3 minutes until the tortilla strips start to turn a light brown color and become crispy.
• Remove them to a plate lined with paper towel to dry.
• Repeat last three steps until no uncooked tortilla strips remain.

You can also garnish your chicken tortilla soup with avocado slices, lime wedges, or chopped fresh cilantro leaves. We also substituted  our homemade turkey broth for the chicken broth (you should do the same if you have any homemade broth to use). And a word of caution with the tortilla chips for the soup, as you will find yourself eating them plain and then you may not have enough for your soup. The good news is that corn tortillas usually come with more than six in a pack and oil comes in a bottle bigger than 1/4 cup so you should have enough product to make a few extra.

This recipe originated from the Dollars to Donuts cookbook.

Please enjoy!

-Chef Jason