Susans Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipes

Steps:

• CHICKEN: Bring 2-3 cans of broth to a boil in a medium pot, add the chicken (make sure it is covered with broth), turn heat to low and cook for 15 minutes, making sure the liquid doesn't bubble(simmer or boil) at all. After 15-20 minutes, cut into thickest part of chicken to ensure it is JUST cooked through. Reserve broth. I shred my chicken in my kitchenaid standmixer. Place whole drained but still hot chicken breasts into the work-bowl. Use the mixing paddle to shred the hot chicken in seconds. Set aside to use later.
• In a large pot, heat oil over medium high and saute onion for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and continue to cook an additional 1-2 minutes. Add Cumin, Chili powder and cayenne if using. turn heat to medium and "bloom" the spices for 1-2 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly.
• Add all the broth(don't forget the poaching liquid). Turn heat to high. Add the Rotel, corn, and zucchini, chopped green chiles and 1/4 c. minced cilantro stems. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-high and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Turn off heat and add shredded chicken.
• TO SERVE: Ladle soup into bowls and roughly break some tortilla chips into soup. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the chips. Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves, avocado chunks, a dollop of sour cream and pickled jalapeno slices if using.

Steps:

• For the tortilla strips: Heat the oil in a medium Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the tortilla strips and cook, stirring, until they are crispy, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle lightly with salt. Set aside.
• For the soup: In the same pot, add the cumin, paprika, jalapeños, onion and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the veggies are soft and tender, about 8 minutes. Add the stock and diced tomatoes and green chiles. Bring to a simmer. Add the chicken and simmer until the chicken is warmed through.
• For serving: Serve in bowls with a pile of the fried tortilla strips and some yogurt and hot sauce, if desired, on the side.

Steps:

• In a medium stock pot, heat oil over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic in oil until soft. Stir in chili powder, oregano, tomatoes, broth, and water. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Stir in corn, hominy, chiles, beans, cilantro, and chicken. Simmer for 10 minutes.
• Ladle soup into individual serving bowls, and top with crushed tortilla chips, avocado slices, cheese, and chopped green onion.

Steps:

• Heat a broiler with a rack 4 to 6 inches from the heat source. Line a sheet pan with foil and arrange the plum tomatoes on it, cut sides up. Add the onion, cherry tomatoes, jalapeños and garlic, distributing them evenly, then broil for 15 minutes, checking and rotating the pan every 5 minutes to ensure the vegetables char evenly. (You want the vegetables to be blackened in many spots, slumped and sizzling. Many of the cherry tomatoes will have burst.) Let the vegetables sit 1 or 2 minutes, until just cool enough to handle.
• Warm the vegetable oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high. Transfer the charred onion to a cutting board, roughly chop it, and add it to the pot, along with the salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, discard the garlic skins then chop the garlic, jalapeños and plum tomatoes. Lift two sides of the foil and tip the cherry tomatoes and any juices into a bowl; set aside for the salsa.
• Add the chopped garlic, jalapeño and plum tomatoes to the pot, and cook, stirring often, until slightly reduced and glossy, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste, cumin, oregano, onion powder and garlic powder, and cook, stirring constantly, until toasted and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chicken thighs, carrots and broth, and scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits.
• Increase the heat to high, cover the pot and let the soup come to a boil. Uncover the pot, reduce the heat to medium-high for a medium-brisk simmer, and cook, stirring once or twice, until the chicken and carrots are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, gently fold the avocado into the cherry tomatoes; add the juice of half the lime and season to taste with salt.
• With a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer the chicken to a bowl. Coarsely shred and break up the meat with a fork, then add it back into the pot. Squeeze in the juice of the remaining half lime, and add more salt if necessary.
• Serve the soup in bowls topped with crushed tortilla chips and spoonfuls of the tomato-avocado salsa. Pass hot sauce, queso fresco and/or cilantro at the table, if desired.

Steps:

• Add all ingredients into a large stock pot.
• Bring to a boil, then let simmer on low for 30 minutes. You can also cook this in your slow cooker for 2-3 hours.
• Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, diced avocados and tortilla chips.