Simple Chicken Tortilla Soup 

Completely packed with flavor and simple to put together, Chicken Tortilla Soup is one recipe you'll want to double and have ready to take to work with you for lunch.  It's really a wonderful soup that can be made from leftovers.

The first time I made this soup, I didn't make enough.  Don't you hate that?

It was SO GOOD, it made me wanna slap myself for never makin' it before.  "Why did I take so long to make this wonderful soup?" I said to myself.  "Shame on me!"

I followed the Barefoot Contessa At Home cookbook directions for making Ina's Mexican Chicken Soup.  I DID NOT follow the ingredients list.  I love Ina, but come on!  She LURVS French cuisine AND she hates cilantro.  I, I don't understand that at all.  It goes against my common Tex-Mex sense to trust any Mexican recipes she publishes.

HOWEVER, I do trust her methods of cooking vegetables and soup building techniques.  So, I used my own favorite ingredients and spices and followed her guide.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 1 small red or orange bell pepper, chopped
• 3 celery stalk, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 6 cups homemade chicken broth or low-sodium store bought
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes with garlic & onions
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with chipotle peppers
• 1 whole green chili, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 8 corn tortillas
• 2 1/2 to 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded (1 breast, 1 thigh, 1 leg makes a perfect amount)

Soup Toppings

• light sour cream
• shredded cheddar cheese
• tortillas chips

In a large soup pot or dutch oven, heat 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil over medium-low heat, add onions, celery, and carrots then cook until vegetables soften, 10 minutes.  Add the garlic, cumin and chili powder and cook for up to 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Add the chicken broth, tomatoes with their juices, green chili, cilantro, salt and pepper.  Cut the tortillas into 1/2 inch strips and add to the soup.  Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes.  Stir occasionally.

Add the shredded chicken and check the level of salt & pepper.  Allow the chicken to heat through a few minutes, while you prep the soup toppings assembly line.

If you compare the two soup images here, you'll see the tortillas have completely broken down in the top image.  I freaked the first time I made this, thinking that I had to 'see' the tortillas in the tortilla soup.  But once I had that first spoonful, it made no difference at all.  The flavor of the corn tortillas lives in the broth.

IT'S WONDERFUL!