Soup Potluck and Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

If Brent would let me, I would eat soup everyday.

Every year when it gets cold outside, our friends host a soup potluck. This year, I made two soups: Zuppa Toscana, and the crowd pleaser, Chicken Tortilla. I've already shared the Zuppa Toscana recipe here.









Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

1 cup carrot, diced
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup onion, diced (I use yellow)
½ tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 tbsp corn oil (or vegetable or canola; use what you have)
4 15 oz cans chicken broth
2 15 oz cans Rotel tomatoes and chiles, diced (Choose the potency carefully. This is what REALLY makes the soup mild or spicy)
1 packet taco seasoning
1 package corn tortillas, cut into small pieces (about 10-15 depending on how thick you want the soup to be)
12 oz cooked chicken meat (I buy the prepared rotisserie and pull the meat from the bones when I’m feeling lazy)
1 cup milk
16 oz Monterey Jack cheese or Mexican blend, shredded
Sour cream
Corn tortilla chips (I use Scoops)

Directions:

1. In a large pot, sauté carrots, onions, and celery in corn oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper until tender. A good indicator is slightly browning onions.

2. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.

3. While the broth is heating, cut tortillas into small pieces and cut the chicken into bite size pieces. Set aside.

4. Once boiling, add Rotel, taco seasoning and chicken. Add tortillas last making sure to stir them in well.

5. Let boil for about 20 minutes or until tortillas have fully incorporated into the soup. Stir occasionally to keep mixture from sticking to the pot.

6. Reduce heat and add 12 oz of cheese. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

7. Add milk and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Soup is finished.

8. Garnish with sour cream, remaining cheese and tortilla chips.

Advice: if you have one, use a splatter screen. When the soup is at a rolling boil, it can get a little messy. Also, do not skimp on the simmer times. If you do, your vegetables will be crunchy. This is great heated up the next day as a chip dip!

Not too shabby for a Friday night! You MUST try this soup, and when you do, let me know how it all went over!