Description
Love Mexican? Then you are sure to fall in love with this delicious Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe slightly adapted from Rick Bayless.
Ingredients
1-2 medium dried pasilla (negro) chiles, stemmed and seeded**
1 (15-ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes in juice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium white onion, sliced 1/4-inch thick
5 garlic cloves, peeled
2 quarts good-quality chicken broth
1 large epazote sprig (optional)
4 (about 1 1/4 pounds total) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large ripe avocado, pitted, flesh scooped from the skin and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Mexican melting cheese (like Chihuahua, quesadilla or asadero) or Monterrey Jack
4 cups roughly-broken tortilla chips
1/2 cup Mexican crema, sour cream or creme fraîche for garnish
1 large lime, cut into 6 wedges, for serving
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro, for serving
1/2 cup cotija cheese, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Quickly toast a chile by turning it an inch or two above an open flame for a few seconds until its aroma fills the kitchen. (Lacking an open flame, toast it in a dry pan over medium heat, pressing it flat for a few seconds, then flipping it over and pressing it again.) Repeat with second chile if desired. Break the chile into pieces and put in a blender jar along with the tomatoes with their juice. (A food processor will work, though it won’t completely puree the chile.)
- Heat the oil in a medium (4-quart) saucepan over medium-high. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 7 minutes. Scoop up the onion and garlic with a slotted spoon, pressing them against the side of the pan to leave behind as much oil as possible, and transfer to the blender. Process until smooth.
- Return the pan to medium-high heat. When quite hot, add the puree and stir nearly constantly, until thickened to the consistency of tomato paste, about 6 minutes. Add the broth and epazote, if using. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and season with salt, usually about a generous teaspoon (depending on the saltiness of the broth).
- Just before serving, add the chicken to the simmering broth. Divide the avocado, cheese and tortilla chips between serving bowls. When the chicken is done, usually about 5 minutes, ladle the soup into the bowls. Garnish with the crema, cilantro, and extra cotija cheese and tortilla chips if desired. Pass the lime separately.
Notes
**If you choose to substitute ancho chile powder for the actual chiles, add in about 1 tablespoon of ancho chile powder halfway through cooking the onion.
Slightly adapted from Rick Bayless.