Tortilla Soup
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 mins
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Get all the flavors of a taco in a simmering pot of soup topped of with cravable, crispy fried tortilla strips.
Ingredients
- Vegetable oil
- Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large bone-in skin-on chicken breasts
- 1 white onion, chopped
- 2 poblano peppers, stemmed, seeded & chopped
- 2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded & chopped
- 1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded & minced
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) tomato paste
- 6 cups (1.4 L) chicken stock
- 1 28-oz (800 g) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 15-oz (425 g) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 2 15-oz (425 g) cans black beans, drained
- 1 29-oz (825 g) can hominy, drained
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, minced
- Suggested garnishes: tortilla strips (see below), cotija cheese, chopped cilantro, minced red onion, lime wedges, sour cream, hot sauce
Tortilla Strips
- Vegetable oil
- Corn tortillas
- Fine grain salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Warm a large pot for a few minutes over medium heat and add a tbsp of oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides and add it to the pot, skin side down. Brown the chicken well on both sides (a few minutes per side), then transfer to a baking sheet and into the oven. Bake the chicken until it registers 165 degrees internally, 25-30 min.
- In the same pot, combine the onion, poblanos, bell peppers, jalapeño, and garlic with a big pinch of salt. Cook the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent. Next, stir in the cumin, coriander, chili powder and oregano; continue stirring for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and stir for 2 minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the pot along with a huge pinch of salt. Stir well, bring to a boil, and simmer for 20 minutes or so. When the chicken is done and cool enough to handle, remove the skin, shred the meat and stir it into the soup. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve with the suggested garnishes at the table.
Tortilla Strips
- Heat a shallow layer of oil (about 1/2 inch) in a large pan over medium-high heat. Cut the tortillas into strips. To test if the oil is ready, put a little piece of tortilla in the pan. The oil should bubble up rapidly around it, cooking it to a golden brown in a minute or so.
- Crisp the tortillas in batches (don’t overcrowd the pan), removing them with a slotted spoon or spider strainer when crispy and golden brown. Transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt before moving on to the next batch.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Soup
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 490
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the recipe brown and then oven-bake the chicken instead of poaching it directly in the soup?
The bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts are first browned on both sides in the pot, then finished in a 350°F oven until they reach 165°F internally (25-30 minutes). This gives the skin a browned, flavourful exterior before the meat is shredded and stirred back into the soup — the rendered fat left in the pot also contributes flavour to the vegetable sauté.
What is hominy, and what does it add to this soup?
Hominy is dried corn that has been treated with an alkali solution (nixtamalization), giving it a chewy, hearty texture and a distinctly corn-forward, slightly earthy flavour. The recipe uses one 29-oz (825 g) can, drained — it is one of the ingredients that sets this apart from a simpler chicken soup.
How do I make the tortilla strips without them going soggy?
The recipe gives a specific method: heat about ½ inch of vegetable oil in a large pan over medium-high heat and fry the tortilla strips in batches — don’t overcrowd the pan — until crispy and golden brown, removing them with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined plate. The oil is ready when a small piece of tortilla bubbles rapidly and browns in about a minute. 
