Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Soups and stews are truly some of the most perfect foods you can eat. They can be made in advance, make great leftovers (soup is usually better the next day!), can be extremely healthy and what's easier than an entire meal in a bowl? I've been preparing and perfecting this chicken tortilla soup recipe for years - and think it's one of the best! I love to serve it with baked quesadillas but a salad would also make a great pairing. A trick I've recently learned to give any soup a true depth of flavor is tossing in leftover parmesean cheese rinds. You heard me, just freeze your leftover parmesean cheese rinds and pull them out whenever you're making soup. Toss one in while the soup is simmering and remove at the end. I know it sounds strange, but the flavor is incredible. I always make home made chicken broth whenever we have a whole roasted or grilled chicken and keep in the freezer. The other key to success in this recipe is fresh squeezed lime juice and honey. Get ready for fall early and try this savory soup for your next meal. This has been a 'do over' for years in our house.

origin - lisa lou
difficulty - medium
health meter - high

3 tbsp olive oil
1 large vidalia or spanish onion chopped
1 zucchini chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
2 stalks celery chopped
1 carrot chopped
3/4 cup fresh corn cut from the cob (frozen works fine too)
1 can chopped green chiles
1 tsp onion powder
2 - 3 tsp salt
1/2 tsp corriander
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp dried mexican or regular oregano
2 bay leaves
1/8 tsp ground red cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp honey
juice and zest of one lime
4-6 cups home made chicken broth (canned or bouillon cubes work too!)
1 28 oz can whole tomatoes chopped including juice (I love Cento brand)
1 cup torn chicken pieces
leftover parmesean cheese rind
large handful fresh cilantro chopped
finely shredded montery jack/cheddar cheese for garnish
fried tortilla strips for garnish (cut flour tortillas into 1/4 inch strips and pan fry over medium high heat in 2 tbsp vegetable oil)
chopped scallions for garnish

In a large heavy saucepan saute onion in olive oil over medium high heat until softened, approximately 4-5 minutes. Add celery, zucchini, carrots and 1 tsp salt stirring frequently for 3-4 minutes. Add onion powder, cumin, corriander, red pepper, black pepper and oregano stirring for another 2 minutes. Lower heat to medium low and add chicken broth, tomatoes, green chiles, bay leaves, corn, cheese rind, honey and lime juice and zest. Simmer for 30-45 minutes. Add chicken and continue to simmer for another 15 minutes. Correct seasonings - adding more salt if needed and stir in fresh cilantro. Serve in large bowls topped with scallions, cheese, and tortilla strips.