Chicken Tortilla Soup

Or turkey! You could add leftover turkey. See how I timed this? Eh? Eh? Hello?

. . . Never mind.

Not only is this soup SHORT CUT city, the flavors are exactly what you crave when you imagine slurping up tortilla soup. Rich, tomato-y, sweet pops of crunchy roasted corn, not overly spicy (ya know, these kid mouths), tender shredded chicken with so much flavor from its trip on the rotisserie spinner thingy, and toasty. It has everything. (said like Stefon from SNL. But you have to do the hands. And then put your hands on your face to hide the leaking giggle that’s somewhere between absurdity and more absurdity. There you go. You got it now.)

I happen to irrationally love pinto beans. But you can use whatever bean you dig. The tomatoes are fire-roasted, so it amps up the personality without you having to do sh. The corn is frozen, yes, but watch what we do with it in a second. I’ve shown you approximately 835,296,213 times over the years, but this is 2020 so I’m not expecting much in the realm of memory retention these days.

We done brawled it! And by that I mean, “Look, George, we broiled it! Straight from the freezer and onto the pan, George. Drizzled with oil, seasoned with salt, George, and ten to twelve minutes later we have splendidly charred corn. Isn’t it magnificent, George? . . . G . . . George?”

You’ll sauté the onions and garlic with the spices. All that flavor building from the ground up is where it’s at. The fragrance in your home right now is illegal.

Then you’ll add the beans, tomatoes and stock! Stir it up for a second, then add in the shredded chicken (or leftover turkey) and take a blurry photo of it.

For the corn tortillas, just slice them like that ^ and arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. I sprayed a little evoo spray on top and sprinkled a little salt. Just let them crisp up in a hot oven abouuuuut ten minutes. Keep an eye on them and you’ll know. They’ll shrivel ever so slightly, turn a golden brown and become so toasty you’ll want to scream.

Simple as that. And you know what, taste it before you serve. Like always. But if you need a hit of acidity in there to wake it up, lime squirt right in. Make sure it has enough salt, and you’re set.

Garnish however you love. Avocado, cilantro, cheese, lime wedges, all of it. And then more.

It is beyond. Definitely some classic underlying flavors happening in there, but with elevated twists of the sweet charred corn and fire-roasted tomatoes. DA-HUDES, it is rockin’. I’m not even going to backspace that embarrassing sentence.

This is what I imagine for you and your lives – SATURDAY NIGHT ALL CAPS. You’re sick of leftovers and want something simple, comforting, totally different flavors, but also uses up that blasted bird. Voila.

Or, wallah. Are you a voila? Or a wallah? These are important, pressing questions, I know.

You may now proceed your slurp sesh.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

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Ingredients

• 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
• 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium white onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbs. cumin
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 (12 oz) bag of frozen corn
• 1 (15.5 oz) can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (14.5 oz) can of fire-roasted tomatoes
• 4 cups chicken stock (add another cup if you need!)
• 4 corn tortillas, cut into 1/2 inch strips
• Coarse salt
• Limes, avocado, cilantro for garnish
• Preheat your oven to broil.

Instructions

1. Arrange the frozen corn in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with a Tbs. or two of oil, along with a sprinkling of salt. Broil for 8 minutes. Lightly wiggle the tray and rotate it. Go another 3-5 minutes, or until the corn is charred in places and sizzling in the heat. Perfect! Done.
2. To a soup pot, heat another 2 Tbs. oil over medium. Add the onions and sauté them for a good five minute. Add the garlic, spices and a good pinch of salt and sauté another minute or two, until wildly fragrant.
3. Add the beans, tomatoes, and stock. Give it a stir, then add the chicken. Let that simmer on medium anywhere from 10-20 minutes. Whatever you have time for.
4. In the meantime, flip your oven to 350. Arrange the tortilla strips on a baking sheet, spray with a little oil and salt, and toast until crispy, about ten minutes.
5. Right before serving, taste it. Need salt? Lime juice? Now add the corn, give it a stir, and serve! (You can actually add the corn earlier if you want)
6. Garnish with cilantro, lime wedges and tortilla strips.
7. GET IN THAT.
8. Serves roughly 6.

7.8.1.2

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https://bevcooks.com/2020/11/chicken-tortilla-soup/

And on that note, Happy Thanksgiving! I may or may not be back on Friday. We’ll see. I’m breezy!