Do you know why we clink glasses before drinking?…It’s so that all the five senses are involved. We touch the glass. We smell the drink. We see its color. We taste it. Hearing is the only sense that doesn’t participate unless we create it.

Carmen Naranjo, Tortilla Soup 2001

Tortilla soup is best eaten after a long day of skiing powder, ice skating outdoors, or snowshoeing. It is comforting, flavorful, and is just what you need to revive after a day spent in the cold. This tortilla soup is so easy and comes together in about 30 minutes. The leftovers are better the next day too! You’ll only use half of the rotisserie chicken, so plan ahead for the week to make chicken curry salad or cobb salad for lunch the next day. If you are not up to making your own tortilla strips, opt for a bag of the cult-favorite Have’a Corn Chips.

If you prefer a thicker stew-like tortilla soup, the Pioneer Woman’s recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe calls for a mixture of cornmeal and water as a thickening agent, see step 6. If you prefer a broth-ier soup, simply skip this step.

You will notice there is no added salt to this recipe. That is because the rotisserie chicken, chicken broth, and black beans contain enough salt to enhance the soup. If you prefer, add more salt to taste before serving.

This recipe is all about comfort, so pleasing your palate is priority. Add as many toppings as you would like! Pile on cilantro, avocado, and lime or serve with crispy quesadillas on the side.

Ingredients

• Soup Ingredients
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 3 Garlic Cloves finely chopped
  • 1 medium Onion chopped, white of yellow
  • 1 Bell Pepper chopped, any color
  • 1 Fresno Pepper, seeds removed, finely chopped
  • 2 Tbsp Sherry Vinegar or White Wine
  • 4 Cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth or Homemade Chicken Stock
  • 1 15 oz can Diced Tomatoes, preferably Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes, keep the juice
  • 1 15 oz can Black Beans, drained & rinsed
  • 1/2 tsp Chili Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Cumin
  • 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
  • 1/2 of a Rotisserie Chicken shredded, reserve remaining chicken for other recipes
• Cornmeal Thickener, optional
  • 2 Tbsp Cornmeal
  • 2 Tbsp Water
• Tortilla Strips
  • 3-6 Corn Tortillas, preferably Food for Life Sprouted Corn Tortillas
  • Sprinkle of Canola Oil
• Toppings
  • Sour Cream
  • Avocado
  • Cilantro
  • Lime
  • Shredded Cheese

Easy Tortilla Soup
4-5 Servings
30 Cook Time

Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 400° (to bake the tortilla strips)
2. In a soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, bell pepper, Fresno pepper. Sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Add vinegar or wine to hot pot. Scrape browned bits to deglaze the pan.
4. Add chicken stock, tomatoes with juice, black beans, chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika to pot. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a gentle boil. Add shredded chicken during the last 5 minutes of cook time.
5. Reduce heat to low, cover & simmer for 15 minutes.
6. For the soup thickener, in a small bowl combine the cornmeal and water. Work out the lumps with a fork. Add cornmeal paste to soup and stir to combine.
7. For the tortilla strips, slice tortillas into 1/2 inch strips. On a baking sheet, toss tortilla strips with canola oil & a pinch of salt. Bake for 8-12 minutes, checking after 6 minutes, until strips are golden & crispy.
8. To serve tortilla soup, ladle soup into bowls, top with tortilla strips or Have’a Chips, avocado, cilantro, lime wedges, sour cream, and shredded cheese. Enjoy!