Tortilla Soup and a Food Styling Workshop
This recipe is from the Pastry Queen Cookbook. The author used to have a cafe in Fredricksburg, Texas. She was known for her Tortilla Soup. Someone told me about this place and though it closed before I could visit, I found her cookbook.
Ingredients
- Plum tomatoes
- Olive oil
- Yellow onion, diced
- Garlic
- Red bell pepper
- Chili powder
- Ground cumin
- Chicken stock
- Dried ancho chile pepper
- Peeled tomatoes
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Cayenne pepper, for heat (optional)
- 3-4 cooked, shredded chicken breasts
- Corn
- 1 Avocado, peeled and sliced
- Tortilla chips or strips
- Cilantro
- Monterey Jack cheese
- Sour cream
Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 8 plum tomatoes4 Tbsp olive oil1 yellow onion diced6 cloves garlic, minced1 red bell pepper, diced (about 1/2 cup)2 tsp chili powder2 tsp ground cumin4 cups chicken stock1 dried ancho chile pepper1 (28-ounce) can peeled tomatoesSalt and freshly ground black pepperCayenne, for heat (optional)3-4 cooked, shredded chicken breasts8-10 oz corn, fresh or frozen (thawed)
- For garnish:1 Avocado peeled and slicedTortilla chips or strips1 plum tomatoes, diced¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheeseSour cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice the plum tomatoes in half and place them skin-side up on a greased baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and roast for 35 minutes, until the skins wrinkle and the edges brown.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion, garlic, and bell pepper for about 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the chili powder and cumin, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the chicken stock, 1 cup of water, and the ancho chile. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes until the chile softens.
- Once softened, remove the chile from the pot, discard the stem, and remove the seeds if a milder heat level is preferred. In a food processor, blend the softened chile, canned tomatoes with their juices, and roasted tomatoes (including any juices and browned bits) until smooth. Pour this mixture back into the soup and continue simmering, covered, for 1 hour.
- Season with salt, pepper, and ground red pepper (if using), then stir in the cooked chicken. If using fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cob and simmer for 5 minutes. If using frozen corn, heat until warmed through.
- To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with avocado slices, tortilla chips, diced tomatoes, cilantro, shredded cheese, and a spoonful of sour cream. For extra heat, blend 1 chipotle pepper with the tomatoes and chile before adding it to the soup. Enjoy!
Notes
8 plum tomatoes
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced (about 1/2 cup)
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
4 cups chicken stock
1 dried ancho chile pepper
1 (28-ounce) can peeled tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cayenne, for heat (optional)
3-4 cooked, shredded chicken breasts
8-10 oz corn, fresh or frozen (thawed)
For garnish:
1 Avocado, peeled and sliced
Tortilla chips or strips
1 plum tomatoes, diced
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Sour cream
