Lunch Pail: Krissi's Tortilla Soup

Union Riveter Krissi Sandvik is back with another one of her favorite one-pot recipes!

I had tortilla soup for the very first time about 20 years ago in San Diego.  Since then it has become one of my favorite Mexican dishes.  It's as good in the middle of the summer as it is on a brisk Fall evening.  "Tortilla" is a bit of a misnomer, however, since the tortillas are really only a garnish, and not a main ingredient.  Instead, it's chicken in a spicy tomato-based broth, topped with all kinds of goodies.

When I decided I wanted to make my own, I started cruising through some of the quick tortilla soup recipes online to see what looked good and find out where ingredients seemed to overlap. I chose my ingredients list from those recipes that didn't have a can of enchilada sauce as an ingredient. Here's what I came up with:

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (about 1 lb.)
  can be leftover, roasted or grilled.  I cooked mine up in my pressure cooker since I have one.
• chicken broth, 2 cartons of low sodium
• black beans (about a cup or 1 can, rinsed)
• diced green chiles (1 can)
• frozen roasted corn (or white corn) 1 cup
• diced tomatoes (I used canned) in juice - 2 28 oz cans
• lime juice - 2 Tbsp
• garlic (LOTS) - about 6 cloves, mashed/diced
• 1/2 a large white onion, diced
• Spices:
• 2 tsp cumin seed
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• pinch of italian seasoning
• tsp salt
• tsp ground coriander
• 1-2 cubes of Dorot chopped chili or equivalent in chili powder
• Garnishes (use any or all, as desired):
• tortilla strips (I toast my own, which are less greasy and salty than commercial chips)
• fresh avocado, cut into cubes
• fresh cilantro
• fresh lime juice
• queso fresco, crumbled or Monterrey jack cheese, shredded
• sour cream
• pico de gallo

Coat the bottom of your soup pot with olive oil and sprinkle cumin seeds (a generous tsp or two) and warm them over medium heat until they begin sizzling.

Add garlic and onions, and sautee until onions until translucent

Add corn, stir, sautee corn until slightly brown on edges (if desired)
Add tomatoes, chiles, beans, chicken broth, chicken, lime juice and spices.  Stir and simmer for a half hour, taste and adjust spices. 

This movie is a remake of
Ang Lee's Eat, Drink, Man, Woman
I suppose next time I should find a stir fry recipe
so we can watch that!

To serve, place toasted tortilla strips in the bottom of your bowl, ladle soup overtop and then garnish.  

While you're enjoying this tasty dish, why not watch one of my favorite movies with the same name?  

Krissi Sandvik is a mixed-media artist and the owner of Krissi's Art Studio, home of Skelekitty and Friends. She was recently named "best tutorialer on the web" by her friend Rachelle Rose. She publishes a tutorial or "Ask Krissi's Art Studio" column every Friday on Modern Rosies.