Chicken Tortilla Soup

A few years ago, I had the BEST bowl of Chicken Tortilla Soup at a little restaurant in Portland.  It had the perfect amount of spice, was thick and hearty and chock full of flavorful chicken.  I've been trying to recreate it ever since--testing and tweaking several recipes and nothing has compared.  Well, tonight was another attempt and I think we have a winner!  This time I roasted a bunch of tomatoes to intensify their flavor and thickened it up with corn tortillas.  You can make this as spicy as you like but, the chipotle peppers are pretty hot so, maybe just use one pepper the first time you make it and then add in more the next time if you want a little extra heat.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

8-10 tomatoes (I like to use a mixture of romas & vine ripened.  You could also toss in a few cherry or grape tomatoes--just use whatever looks like it'll have the best flavor)

1 medium yellow onion, cut into large chunks

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and left whole

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp sugar

1-2 chipotle peppers, packed in adobo sauce

3 corn tortillas, torn into small pieces

8 c chicken stock

2 springs of fresh oregano, left whole

4 springs of fresh cilantro, left whole

~2.5 lbs chicken breast halves (w/ribs), skin removed

1 tbsp olive oil

Crunchy tortilla strips (see recipe below) & fresh cilantro for garnish

Sour cream & shredded Monterey Jack cheese for toppings

Preheat the oven to 375.  Quarter the tomatoes (pole to pole) and remove the seeds.  Arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet along with the onions and garlic cloves.  Sprinkle with olive oil, salt, pepper and sugar.  Roast for about 30 minutes until the tomatoes begin to caramelize and the onions are soft.  Remove from the oven and let cool.

Scrape the roasted tomato mixture into the bowl of a food processor, add in the chipotle pepper(s) and bits of tortilla.  Puree these ingredients together until they reach a smooth, even texture.  Set aside.

In a large soup pot, bring the chicken stock, oregano & cilantro to a boil.  Add in the chicken breasts and reduce the heat to medium high heat.  Cook the chicken in the stock for about 10-15 minutes or until cooked through.  Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside until it's cool enough to handle.  Using two forks, shred the chicken off of the bone into bite sized pieces. Pour the stock through a strainer into a large bowl or another pot to remove the herbs.  Discard the herbs and set the stock aside.  

NOTE: If you want this soup to come together even faster, skip the chicken breasts and get a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.  Since the chicken is already cooked, just simmer your broth with the herbs while the tomatoes are roasting and then follow the recipe accordingly.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium high heat in your soup pot.  Scrape the pureed tomato mixture into the pot and cook, stirring frequently until it has deepened in color, about 5-8 minutes.  

Pour in your chicken stock and stir together.  Add in the shredded chicken, let everything cook together for just a few minutes and you're ready to serve!  I like to top the soup with crunchy tortillas strips and fresh cilantro.  Serve with sour cream and shredded Monterey jack cheese.

Crunchy Tortilla Strips
8-10 corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-1/2 inch strips
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Toss the tortilla strips with oil and salt until evenly coated.  Spread in even layer on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees, stirring occasionally until crisp and light golden brown.