January is National Soup Month so… let’s get our soup on!!
By: Stephanie Weed
Remember the Campbell’s soup commercials where there is a sick little kid home from school and his mom makes him a steaming bowl of hot soup? Or the one where the kids are shoveling snow outside and come in all rosy cheeked and freezing and their mom makes them some steaming tomato soup and a grilled cheese? Well I sure do and I think that marketing company was genius. They captured the nurturing, “just what you need” feeling that I think soup brings to mind for us all. Especially now in the cold Wyoming winter months! Also, if you think about it, in addition to soup being “good food”, soup can be super nutritious and you can take it pretty much anywhere in a thermos, even drink it out of a cup!
In honor of National Soup month we have kicked up a tried and true favorite. Mexican chicken tortilla soup. We chose the clear broth kind with lots of fun add-ins.
Read-on for our recipes and cocktails to go with.
A good soup deserves some love and attention. Here are some add-ins we highly recommend.
Awesome Add-Ins:
2 avocados, diced
shredded or crumbled (cheddar, queso blanco, cotija-any kind that strikes your fancy) cheese
blue corn tortilla chips (or make your own)
Sour cream
Sliced fresh or pickled jalapenos
Thinly sliced radishes
Fresh cilantro
Lime wedges
If you want to make this into an event, make guacamole and fresh salsa as well…and don’t forget the margaritas!
INGREDIENTS:
Soup:
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium yellow onions, roughly chopped (about 2½ cups)
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 yellow or red bell pepper, deseeded and roughly chopped
6 (6-inch) white corn tortillas, cut into small pieces (about 1¼ cups), see note
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
8 cups chicken stock or bone broth
1½ teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, (optional)
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat olive oil and butter in large pot over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and red or yellow pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and just starting to brown, about 10-15 minutes.
Add cut corn tortillas, smoked paprika, chili powder, ground coriander and cumin; continue to cook, stirring occasionally, a few minutes more. Add chicken stock, salt and cayenne pepper (if adding) and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Remove the soup from the heat and puree until completely smooth. An immersion blender is easiest for this or blend in batches in your blender.
Stir in chicken, then ladle soup into bowls and garnish.
Pasar Bien!!