Chicken Tortilla Soup
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1 - 4lb chicken, cut into tenths
12 cups water
1 onion, chopped
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon kosher salt, or more if needed
1 cup fresh corn kernels
1-10ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
Bouquet Garni
1/2 bunch cilantro, washed and dried
6 cloves garlic, peeled
10 peppercorns
1 small piece of cheesecloth and kitchen twine
Tortilla Strips
6-6-inch corn tortillas
Canola oil to mix with tortilla strips
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Garnishes
1 ripe, but firm Haas avocado, peeled and cut into small dice
1 lime, cut into wedges
Cilantro leaves
Sour Cream
Instructions:
Prepare the Bouquet Garni: Using kitchen twine, tie the cilantro, peppercorns and garlic in a small piece of cheesecloth.
Prepare the Soup: Place the water and chicken into a stock pot, bring it to a boil, lower the heat and remove any impurities that rise to the surface. When the broth clears, add the tomatoes, onions, jalapeno peppers, bouquet garni, and salt. Simmer for 1-1 1/2 hours. Season with more salt if needed. Remove from stove. Remove the bouquet garni and discard. Strain the stock over a fine mesh sieve. Separate the cooked chicken from the vegetables. Return the vegetables to the pot with stock, and puree. When chicken slightly cools, shred the chicken. Add the shredded chicken, corn, and black beans to the pot. Adjust seasonings with more kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Continue to cook on simmer for another 30 minutes.
Prepare the Tortilla Strips: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Stack tortillas on a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut tortillas into 1/2-inch strips. Carefully mix together with the salt and a little canola oil, just to coat. Spread the strips onto a baking sheet pan and bake for about 15 minutes, or until crisp. Remove from oven and allow tortilla strips to cool. Set aside.
Ladle the soup into bowls. Top with the assorted garnishes and the prepared tortilla strips.
Make it stand out.
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.