Chicken Tortilla Soup

My husband pestered me for several years about making some tortilla soup for him. I’d never had it, so I wasn’t exactly sure what it should look like or taste like, and I wanted it to be as authentic as possible. I found a slow cooker recipe, but I was afraid that it would turn out too watery or just not taste authentic. So I tried it but made a couple small changes. My husband really liked it and said it came in a close second to a good tortilla soup he had in New Mexico. So this one is now a regular for us. You can also make it on the stove (directions below). We like it with chips, guacamole, and a couple Coronas.

[Updated: September 21, 2008]

Equipment

6 quart slow cooker
9×13 baking pan or cookie sheet
aluminum foil

Ingredients

3 cups (~1 pound/0.5 kilo) shredded cooked chicken (instructions below)
chili powder
2 ounces (58 g) tomato paste
1 (15-ounce/340 g) can diced tomatoes
2 anaheim chilies, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
3-4 large tomatoes, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
10 stems minced cilantro
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
32 ounces (946 mil) chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried chipotle pepper (optional)

Garnish

shredded cheddar cheese
1 avocado, chopped
cilantro, snipped from the stem
1 lime, cut into wedges
crushed tortilla chips

Crock Pot Preparation

1. CHICKEN: Roast two large chicken breasts (boneless skinless) sprinkled with chili powder to taste in a 350° F/175° C oven for about 20-30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes, then shred with a fork.

2. Throw everything except the garnishes in your slow cooker and let it cook on high for 5-6 hours.

3. To serve, pile on the garnishes and give it a squeeze of lime.

Stove Preparation

Saute the garlic and onion in 2 tablespoons olive oil, then add the remaining ingredients. Simmer for at least an hour.

Notes

You can make this gluten free if you can find a hot pepper sauce that is not vinegar based. We use Rio Grande Hot Sauce, which has no vinegar, and it works great. Also found a vinegar free sauce by Badia called Louisiana Cajun Chili Pepper Hot Sauce.