Anytime Gourmet: Simple and hearty Mexican soup

I love soup, but my husband doesn’t always think it in itself is a meal. I have to make really hearty soups for him to consider it dinner. I love hearty soups as well, especially ones without cream and with lots of good things in them. This is one of those soups. I decided to make it one gray day (surprising that the weather is gray here is Seattle). It doesn’t take long to make, especially since I eliminated the step of roasting the chicken that was in the original recipe. We keep chicken tenders in our freezer and they worked perfectly in this recipe. I just threw them into the soup and they cooked very quickly. Chicken breasts would work too, but they just won’t be as moist as the tenders.

This soup is delicious topped with sour cream, broken tortilla chips, fresh cilantro, cheddar cheese and sliced avocado – or any combination of those things that you have on hand. It is a modification of one of Ina Garten’s recipes. She says that cilantro is optional, but I highly disagree (one of the few times I have disagreed with The Barefoot Contessa). I think the cilantro adds that key flavor and a brightness you can’t get otherwise.

After making this soup a few times now, this recipe is definitely a keeper. I hope you agree!

Chicken Tortilla Soup, adapted from Barefoot Contessa at Home, 2006

4 chicken tenders or 2 chicken breasts, diced into bite size pieces
Good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chopped onions (1 onion)
½ cup chopped celery (1 stalk)
1 cup chopped carrots (2 carrots)
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 (14-ounce) can whole tomatoes in puree, crushed
1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander seed
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
4 (6-inch) fresh white corn tortillas
For serving: sliced avocado, sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, fresh cilantro, and tortilla chips

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onions, celery, and carrots and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions start to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes with their puree, jalapenos, cumin, coriander, 1 ½ teaspoons salt (depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock), ½ teaspoon pepper, and the cilantro. Add the diced chicken tenders or breasts to the soup. Cut the tortillas in 1/2, then cut them crosswise into 1/2-inch strips and add to the soup. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Season to taste, making sure to taste only after the chicken is all the way cooked. Serve the soup hot topped with sliced avocado, a dollop of sour cream, grated cheddar cheese, and broken tortilla chips.