This book was a recent impulse buy - I love Jessica Merchant’s blog, How Sweet Eats, and was curious to see how that would translate into a book. While I think that far too much of the book is devoted to meatless meals for my household (I am a bean and lentil hater), there are some great ideas in here and everything seems fairly quick to put together.
Despite temperatures still hovering in the mid-eighties here in NorCal (I miss a nice chilly East Coast fall), I turned up the a/c and chose the Chicken Tortilla Soup. I love this soup and order it whenever possible, possibly because it’s a wonderful base, but more probably because it’s a delicious vehicle for toppings.
Ingredients:
2 TB olive oil
1 sweet onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced [No need to be super perfect with this or the onion - this will be going in the blender]
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
salt/pepper
1 (14oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
4 c. chicken stock
4 (4 inch) corn tortillas, torn into pieces
4 oz Monterey Jack cheese, grated
4 oz Sharp cheddar cheese, grated (plus extra for topping)
8oz cooked chicken, shredded
Toppings shown:
Avocado, diced
Corn, cut off cob [I tossed with lime juice and salt/pepper]
Tortilla chips, broken
Cilantro
Lime wedges
Cotija cheese, crumbled
I use Ina Garten's roast chicken breast recipe for anything that requires shredded chicken. Preheat oven to 350F. Put a bone-in, skin-on chicken breast(s) on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast 35-40 minutes [make sure it reaches 165F]. Let rest, then remove skin, and shred.
Heat a large pot over medium low heat and add olive oil. Stir in the onion, garlic, cumin, paprika, and ½ tsp each salt and pepper. Cook until the onion softens, 5-6 minutes. Pour in the diced tomatoes, stock, and tortilla pieces. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Pour the soup back into the pot and heat it over low heat. Stir in the cheeses and chicken. Cook on low until soup is heated through. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Top with toppings anyway you like it. Check out the topping bar below:
Other than the roasting of the chicken breast, this meal could be pulled together in about 30 minutes. The flavor seems far more slow cooked (maybe due to the fire roasted tomatoes?). The soup itself is a nice thickness with great flavor and pairs well with a myriad of toppings. I've never used cotija cheese before, but the zinginess worked. Even my toddler went in with a spoon - that's a win in my book!
Rating:
Soup - Excellent
Comments