Oh my, this soup is SOOOO good. I can eat it everyday if I have to. When I do make it, I will eat it for breakfast AND lunch the next day. This is also due to the fact that anything with a hint of Mexican flair in it will liven up my tastebuds and I'll eat it. I make this soup all year round, in the summer I'll tell Kyle we're having it because of the freshness of the veggies and in the winter, I'll tell him that it will be nice and spicy to warm us up from the chilly weather. I tend to make recipes that I love over and over and over again :) The first time I did make this soup about 4 years ago it was TOO spicy. Before I even put the spoon in my mouth, I inhaled the steam and it burned my whole throat! This was because of the heat from the jalapenos, so always taste the peppers before to decide whether or not to remove the stem/seeds. Peppers can be so fickle and one might not be spicy at all, and the other one you grabbed could be cause for a big glass of milk to cool you off.
Tortilla Soup
INGREDIENTS
10 corn tortillas (day old is best but not necessary)
veggie oil
1 small onion
2 garlic cloves
2 jalapenos (like I mentioned above, taste the pepper and decide if you want the stem or not)
4 cups chicken stock
1 can of fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 can black beans
2 ears of corn (roasted in husks at 350 for 25 minutes)
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon oregano
shredded cooked chicken (I use chicken thighs)
monterray jack cheese
cilantro
avocado
lime
DIRECTIONS
- roast the corn in the husks in a 350 oven for 25 minutes
- meanwhile, pour about 1/4 cup of veggie oil in a dutch oven or soup pot and heat to med/med high
- cut the tortillas into thin strips and fry in batches and place on a paper towel lined plate until needed
- dice up the onion, garlic and peppers and put into the same pot that the tortillas were fried in (I usually have to remove some of the oil so that there is not too much)
- Cook for about 3 minutes and then cut off the kernels from the cob right into the pot and add the spices and bay leaf
- Add the beans, tomatoes, broth and bring to a boil
- lower heat and let simmer, 10 minutes before you're ready to eat, add the shredded chicken to warm through
- to serve, pour soup in a bowl and add a squeeze of lime, add diced avocado, sprinkle with the jack cheese, add some cilantro and lastly throw in some of the tortilla strips