Chicken Tortilla Soup :Taste of Mexico|Cooking|

Spring has sprung in our part of the world and now the days are longer, warmer and brighter. The nights are however cool and soothing. I love this time of the year as the warmer and longer hours of the day make me more active unlike the winter days when I would love to snuggle on the couch with a hot cup of coffee. I have started working on my patio garden and every morning when I see the tiny bright flowers bloom, it makes my day. I feel complete. Today’s recipe is chicken tortilla soup.

Spring is also about eating fresh and light. The spring veggies are all over the market now. In the months of spring and summer I like to grill or quick sauté the veggies to get the most of the flavors out of it. Sometimes a grilled fish or chicken on the side or a warm bowl of soup. Soup as I always say is the best comfort food for me. Be it winter or summer, serve a steaming bowl of soup and you win my heart. It feels so comforting. While in winter months I prefer the more rich and creamy kind of soups, in warmer months it is the light and fresh flavors that rejuvenate the taste buds.

This Chicken tortilla soup is the right kind of soup for the spring. It has got the right amount of flavors, it is tangy, a bit spicy and light and with all the ingredients thrown in make a complete meal. It is hearty too.

This is a Mexican soup and is served in most of the Mexican restaurants. The one thing that I love most about the soup is the smoky, earthy flavor that comes from the cumin powder. Mexican cuisine uses a lot of cumin and chili powder which somewhat is similar to Indian cooking. The soup needs no big preparation. You can grill the chicken or can cut into bite size pieces and sauté it with the other ingredients and let it cook in the broth. Most of the ingredients are from the pantry and used in everyday cooking and the soup gets ready in no time. The only thing is that it has to be simmered for a while just so that the flavors get infused together.

The garnishes are optional but definitely make a nice presentation and the soup can be served with some additional tortilla chips and pico de gello. Enjoy!

Tips:

I have used the canned tomatoes and black beans but you can roast the tomatoes in the oven. To roast the tomatoes, in a baking sheet place the cut tomatoes and drizzle some olive oil and salt and pepper. Pre heat the oven to 500 F and roast it for 10-15 minutes. You can broil it too. To prep the black beans, soak the beans overnight in water and then pressure cook until done. For the home made tortilla chips, you can grill some corn tortillas cut into strips in oven until crisp. If the soup seems to be thick you can add some hot water and check for the seasoning and adjust accordingly.

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CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP

YIELD: 4 Servings
PREP: 15 mins
COOK: 30 mins
READY IN: 45 mins

INGREDIENTS

2 medium chicken breasts boneless and skinless
2 tablespoons garlic minced finely
1 small red onion diced
2 tablespoons jalapenos diced finely
1/4 cup red bell pepper diced
1/4 cup green bell pepper diced
1 cup black beans canned or boiled
1 cup corn fresh or frozen
1 can fire roasted tomatoes see tips
5 cups chicken stock
2 teaspoons cumin powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons red chilli powder or to taste
1 teaspoon black pepper finely ground (optional)
2 teaspoons salt or to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
20 pieces tortilla chips
2-3 stalks green onions finely chopped for garnish
1 large avocado sliced for garnish
1 small lime cut into wedges for garnish
1/4 cup monterrey jack cheese shredded for garnish
Handful of cilantro leaves chopped roughly for garnish
dollops of sour cream for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To grill the chicken pre-heat the oven to 400 F . Wash and pat dry the chicken and place it on a baking sheet. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil and add pinch of cumin powder, garlic powder, red chili powder and salt, Rub the spices well in the chicken pieces. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Once cool enough to handle shred into bite-sized pieces.
2. In a stock pot heat the remaining oil over medium heat and add the minced garlic, diced onion. Cook for couple of minutes and then add the diced jalapenos, diced red and green bell peppers, corn and drained black beans. Mix in well and add all the spices. Add the shredded chicken. Let it cook for couple of minutes.
3. Now add the can of tomatoes with all the juices in and the chicken stock. Give a stir and let it boil at first and then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes uncovered.
4. Check for seasoning. Switch off the heat and let it stand for at least 10 minutes before serving.
5. Ladle the soup into a bowl and top with 4-5 tortilla chips, lime wedge, avocado slices, dollop of sour cream, chopped cilantro, green onions and shredded cheese.