Easy Tortilla Soup

Happy Friday!! 

We are off to the Magic Kingdom today to visit the mouse. 

I thought I would re-post an old favorite! 

Have a great weekend! 

xo-Lisa

Hi all!

 It's a rainy day here in Southern California, so I thought it would be the perfect day to share a soup recipe with you.

I threw this together one night about 7 years ago, after the restaurant that served my favorite tortilla soup suddenly closed down, leaving me soup-less!!

I started by using a slightly different base, but since my cancer, I have tried to eat mostly organic, whole foods, so the recipe got tweaked a bit. I honestly like it even more now.

Here's what you will need...

 You can use the food processor to pulverize your tortilla chips, if you want. I just like the old fashioned way, and there's less clean up! Plus, it's nice to be able to take out any frustrations on those chips! ;-)

 I roll them until they are as fine as I can get them.

 Pour them in the soup, and whisk until they are incorporated.

 Oops, I almost forgot the tomatoes and tomato pase!

Ok, enough pictures, here is the recipe...

 This is before I tweaked it, so here is the latest version...

Tortilla Soup

• 1 Organic Rotisserie Chicken (breast meat only), or 2 organic boneless chicken breast halves.
• 32 ounce box of Pacific brand Organic Creamy Tomato Soup
• 32 ounce box of Organic Free-Range Chicken Broth
• 2 or 3 celery stalks, washed and chopped
• 2 to 3 carrots, washed, peeled and sliced
• 8-10 ounces of frozen organic whole kernel corn
• 2 to 3 stalks green onion, washed and chopped. I use the whole thing, white and green parts. 
• 1 small can of organic tomato paste.
• 16 ounces diced organic tomatoes, or 1/2 to 1/3 can of Fire Roasted Organic diced tomatoes with green chilies. (It really depends on how much heat you like here, so add to your own taste if you are using the fire roasted with chilies.) *Remember that there is also cayenne pepper added to the broth as well, so add cautiously. You can always add more spicy diced tomatoes near the end if you wish.
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• sea salt to taste
• Approximately 2 cups organic corn tortilla chips
• 1 ripe Hass avocado (for garnish)
• Organic sour cream (for garnish) This can be omitted if you don't use dairy.

*If you are using boneless chicken breast instead of rotisserie chicken, heat oven to 350, place chicken breast on a foil lined baking sheet or shallow dish. Rub chicken with a small amount of olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper to season. Bake 20-25 min, or until breast meat is tender and juicy. (no pink)

In a large stock pot or dutch oven, heat tomato soup and chicken broth over medium high heat. Add crushed tortilla chips. (It usually looks like a little over 1 cup after pulverized. You can use more or less to suit your own taste. This just thickens and flavors the soup.) Whisk in crushed chips until blended. (You may see what appear to be little flakes of corn chips until they cook in, and disintegrate.) 

Add chopped and washed celery, carrots, and green onions, and frozen corn to the broth. Add cayenne, cumin, garlic, black pepper, and salt. Add canned diced tomatoes, and tomato paste. Let the broth and veggies cook until the celery and carrots are tender.

While the broth and veggies are cooking, shred or dice chicken breast meat. (I prefer to dice mine, and I like the chicken roughly the same size as the other veggies in the soup.)

Once veggies are tender, add chicken to soup pot, and heat through. 

Ladle soup out into bowls, and garnish with diced avocado, a spoon full of sour cream, and a small amount of crumbled tortilla chips.

I serve mine with my Delicious Green Juice, or if I'm feeling crazy, a pitcher of margaritas, and some guacamole and chips! 

 Bon Appetit!

Click here for the green juice recipe.

Hope you are having a great day! 

See you tomorrow!

xo

-Lisa