Chicken Tortilla Soup
Serves 4 to 6
For the Soup:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 yellow onion, peeled, and roughly chopped,
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- Freshly ground nutmeg
- 1 ½ lb plum tomatoes (or you can also use one 28oz can crushed tomatoes), roughly chopped
- 2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, seeded and coarsely chopped
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 2 chicken breasts cooked, and shredded, about 2 ½ to 3 cups
For the Tortillas:
- 6 wheat-flour tortillas, cut into thin strips (about ½ inch)
- ¼ cup canola oil for frying
For the Garnish:
- ¼ cup freshly chopped Cilantro
- 8 oz queso fescro (or feta cheese)
1- Prepare the Soup: In a large sauce pan, pour the olive oil over medium heat and cook the garlic until just lightly golden brown, about 2 minutes.
2- Add the onions, and mix, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon and cook until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
3- Add the tomatoes and cook, until they start to soften and mush down.
4- Add the chipotle (more, if desired) and mix well.
5- Pour the chicken stock and simmer the soup, covered, over low heat, checking occasionally, until the tomatoes are very soft, about 30 minutes.
6- In the meantime, Fry the Tortillas: in a nonstick skillet, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the tortilla strips in batches, stirring, until golden and crisp. Be careful that the tortillas don't get too dark, or else they burn. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the tortillas to a plate lined with parchment paper. I like to sprinkle a little salt as they come out of the pan. Repeat the process until all tortillas are golden.
7- Check the soup and turn off the heat. Working in batches puree the soup in a blender, until it's nice and smooth. If soup is way too hot for the blender, let the soup breathe for 5 minutes before pureeing.
8- At this point, you can either return the soup to the pan, or you can strain it to make sure is a bit silkier. Up to you. I like to strain it.
9- Pour the pureed soup back in the pot and simmer gently.
10- Add the shredded chicken and simmer until chicken is soft and tender, about 5 minutes.
11- Taste and adjust the seasoning. Ladle the soup into individual bowls and garnish with queso blanco, cilantro, and tortillas.