When the skies are grey, there’s always tortilla soup to warm up your world.
This is a satisfying, light soup that is very easy to make. Your friends and family will create their personal bowl of joy by adding their favorite embellishments.
Cooking the chicken breasts in the broth gives it a splendid homemade flavor.
This soup with a salad makes a meal. Expand it with ease for a crowd.
Ingredients
serves 6
2 chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
2 tablespoons vegetable oil + more for frying tortilla strips
8 cups chicken stock
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 large tomato, coarsely chopped
½cup chopped fresh cilantro
Preparation
In a large soup pot pour in 2 tablespoon of the oil and turn the heat up to medium.
Once the oil is hot stir in the onions and tomatoes and cook until the onions just begin to become translucent.
Pour the chicken broth into the pot. Add the chicken breasts. Turn heat up to medium high.
When broth comes to a boil allow the breasts to cook for about 25 minutes, then remove them from the broth. Turn off heat.
Allow chicken breasts to cool. When cool, shred chicken breast meat (discard bone and skin).
This portion of the recipe can be done up to the day before, chicken and broth can be stored in refrigerator until ready to serve.
To make tortilla strips, pour enough oil in a sauce pan so that it is at least one inch deep. Heat over high heat. Test the oil by dropping in a small piece of tortilla, when it dances and bubbles, the oil is ready.
Place a small handful of tortilla strips into the oil. Don’t crowd the strips, they should have room to move around in the oil.
After 1 – 2 minutes turn strips over using tongs.
When stiff and golden brown, remove tortilla strips using tongs and put on a plate covered with paper towels to drain.
Fry the rest of the strips, salt and toss.
When ready to serve, heat the chicken broth to just boiling, add in shredded chicken and heat through.
Add fresh cilantro.
Set up a buffet with tortilla strips, cheese, avocado, chopped green onions, lime wedges, favorite salsas and hot sauces.
Invite diners to take a bowl and add their embellishments of choice (tortilla strips, cheese, avocado, a squeeze of lime, etc.), then ladle soup over the top and enjoy.
For a printable version of this recipe, click on the foodista widget below.
What a fun meal for an easy dinner with guests. I think people love when they get to customize!!
emily, thank you so much for your nice comment. I really appreciate your thinking of me.
I enjoyed this soup post. Cooking more (and better) is on my new year's resolutions list!
many thanks, and happy new year! donna
Just found your wonderful blog via Simply Luxurious' newsletter today.
Am following all the way from Spain!
Good Morning Q — thank you for your visit — this really is a great soup for a group. Guests do love to customize their soup.
PG – I hope you are well, and that we will see more lovely shades of gray soon. take care.
VV – I adore the cuisines of Spain, paella, padron peppers and albarino wines are some of my favorites. Do you have any advice on my posts on these?? I am hoping to visit Spain this summer!
Thank you all for your comments! xo ebh
Hi! I found you by way of Pickles and Cheese site. This soup looks good!
Jackie
Enjoyed reading your take on luxury today.
I stayed at La Mamounia last June and am heading back for a weekend in the Royal Mansour ( less than three hours away for me) – which leads me to the question , have you ever made pastilla? It was the tastiest thing I have ever eaten but I'm not much of a cook and a bit daunted at trying to make it myself.
yum! looks delish!!
pour me a bowl … i'm on my way over.
Tabitha — where do you live? I hope you'll let me know what you think of the R. Mansour, I hope to travel there sometime soon.
I have not had pastilla, but they sound amazing. I did some quick research, here is a portion of the wikipedia definition for other readers "It is a pie which combines sweet and salty flavours; a combination of crisp layers of the crêpe-like warka dough (a thinner cousin of the phyllo dough), savory meat slow-cooked in broth and spices and shredded, and a crunchy layer of toasted and ground almonds, cinnamon, and sugar".
It sounds amazing, and complicated. I probably won't try to tackle it until I have a chance to try them in the native land. Please tell me about your favorite! Thank you for your comment and have a great stay.
Wow – Michael – I just visited your blog, and you are very talented. I loved you painted sign! Something like that I what I have always had in mind for Splendid Market. Come over for Tortilla soup anytime!
I meant "your" painted sign, of course.