Mexican Chicken Soup

The weather has been crazy lately.  We think it's finally fall because the temperatures are down to a reasonable level, then a few days later we have 90 degree days again.  We had some rain and some cool days this week, so I figured that meant it was time to break out the soup recipes.

This Mexican Chicken Soup (some may call it a tortilla soup because there are tortillas in the soup plus crushed tortilla chips on top) is pretty tasty and it warms me from the inside out on a cold day.   This recipe originated in the Barefoot Contessa at Home cookbook.  The original recipe told how to roast chicken breasts to be added to this soup, but I substituted the breasts with the meat from a whole rotisserie chicken.  This saves on preparation time and the combination of white and dark meat gives this dish more flavor.  This soup gets 8's all around on the Melnarik rating scale.

I begin by placing the onions, carrots and celery in a Dutch oven and drizzle them with olive oil.  I cook these vegetables over medium heat until the onions are translucent.

Then, I add the garlic, stir it in and cook for an additional minute.

Next, I add the dry spices.  I didn't realize that the steam was a problem in getting a clear shot.  I guess I should have paid attention and taken a second shot.  The spices are at about 1 o'clock in this picture, in case you were wondering.

The next ingredient I add is the jalapeno peppers.

The peppers are followed by the can of crushed tomatoes.

It was hard to get a picture showing the chicken stock being added.  This picture makes it look more like tomato soup!  Trust me, this is where I added the chicken stock.

Then I added the fresh cilantro.  I also increased the heat to high here to begin to bring the soup to a boil.

The corn tortilla strips were added next.  You can tell by the froth that it won't be long until this soup is boiling.   Once it comes to a boil, I lower the heat and let it simmer for 25 minutes.

After simmering, I add the chicken and stir to combine.  I let it simmer for another couple of minutes to let the chicken heat through.  This makes a full Dutch oven of soup, so there's plenty for leftovers, to freeze or to share with friends.

The soup is ready to serve.  As you can see, there is plenty of chicken; enough to get some in each bite!  In fact, I let our neighbors have some and they commented on how great it was to have a nice amount of chicken in the soup.

I like to top mine with crushed tortilla chips first.

Then, some shredded Mexican blend cheese (Monterey Jack and Cheddar).

And I top the cheese with a dollop of sour cream and some avocado slices.  I think I'm going to borrow the old Campbell's slogan here and say Mmmm Mmmm Good!  Enjoy!

Mexican Chicken Soup

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups brown onions, chopped

1 cup celery, sliced

2 cups carrots, sliced

4 large garlic cloves, diced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander seed

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced

1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes

2 1/2 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

6 (6-inch) white corn tortillas

1 rotosserie chicken, meat removed from bones and shredded

Toppings:

sliced avocado

sour cream

grated Mexican blend cheese (Monterey Jack and Cheddar)

tortilla chips

In a Dutch oven, cook onions, celery, and carrots in olive oil over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent.  Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.  Add the cumin and coriander; stir to mix thoroughly.  Add the crushed tomatoes; stir.  Add the chicken stock and cilantro; stir.  Increase heat to high.  Cut the tortillas in half, then cut them crosswise into 1/2-inch strips and add to the soup; stir.  Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes.    Add the chicken; stir to combine.  Heat through.  Serve the soup hot, topped with sliced avocado, a dollop of sour cream, grated cheese, and broken tortilla chips.

Fiesta Tortilla Stack

This dish is a family favorite.  In fact, when my oldest son was leaving on a two-week trip to England to study at Oxford, I asked him what he would like for his last California meal and he requested this. Shortly before I was to begin preparing dinner, I found out my parents would be joining us, so all of the pictures depict me doubling the recipe.

I found this recipe in a Pampered Chef product catalog years ago.  One of the ingredients is the Pampered Chef Southwestern Seasoning Mix, which I always use.  I'm not familiar with any other Southwestern seasoning mixes in order to recommend one if you aren't able to order the mix from Pampered Chef.  I'm sure other brands would give a similar result.  This dish gets 9s across the board on the Melnarik rating scale.

There is quite a bit of chopping required in preparing this dish, but it's definitely worth the time.  In a medium bowl, I combine the chopped chicken, red bell pepper, green onions, and cilantro.

It smells so fresh and the colors are beautiful.  This gets set aside temporarily.

In a small bowl, I combine the bean dip, Southwestern Seasoning Mix, and sour cream.  This mixture also gets set aside.

This doesn't look very appetizing, but it's a key ingredient.  After this I shred the cheddar cheese.  I always use sharp cheddar, as I feel the flavor of the cheese doesn't get lost with the other flavors.

When making this dish for my family alone, I usually use the burrito size tortillas and assemble and bake it on my Pampered Chef Baking Stone, but with my parents joining us, I used the soft taco size tortillas and put them on my non-stick baking sheet.  Next, the layering begins with the plain tortillas.

I spread the bean dip mixture on the tortillas, spreading it almost to the edge.

Then I add the chicken mixture.  I've found that if I put a small heap in the center of the tortilla and use my hand to gently "spread" it toward the edge of the tortilla, that works best.  This method is especially helpful when I get to the 3rd and 4th layers.  The chicken mixture somewhat sticks to the bean dip layer.

The next layer is the cheddar cheese.  We like cheese in our house, so I'm quite generous with the amount I add. 

Then I begin repeating the layers.  I've found that spreading the bean dip on the tortilla before putting it on top of the cheese layer helps me spread it more evenly.

Another layer of the chicken mixture goes on next, 

followed by another layer of cheese.

I won't bore you with pictures of the next two layers, which are identical to the first two layers.  I add the last of the bean dip mixture to the final tortilla (stack on left side) and sprinkle a lesser amount of cheese on top of that (stack on right side).

As you can see, the stack is pretty tall at this point.  As it cooks and the cheese melts, it will lose some of that height.  Into the oven it goes  for 35 minutes at 375°F.

When it comes out of the oven, it smells delicious and the cheese has melted into the bean dip (this layer helps keep the top tortilla from getting over browned and crispy.

I add a little more fresh cilantro for color and flavor and it's ready to slice into wedges and serve.

Not only was Jimmy pleased he had picked this meal for dinner, but my parents loved it also.  Several days later I was talking to my mom on the phone and in the background my dad was telling her to ask me for the recipe.  I told her to tell him that I'd post it to my blog, so everyone would have the opportunity to make and eat this tasty treat.  By the way, this dish requires both a knife and fork to eat!  Enjoy!

Fiesta Tortilla Stack

2 cups cooked chicken breasts, chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)

½ cup thinly sliced green onions

¼ cup snipped fresh cilantro

1 can (9 oz.) bean dip

2 tablespoons sour cream

1 tablespoons Southwest Seasoning Mix*

5 (10-inch) flour tortillas

3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

In a medium bowl, combine chicken, red bell pepper, green onions, and cilantro; mix gently.  In a small bowl, combine bean dip, sour cream, and seasoning mix.  Preheat oven to 375°F.  Place one tortilla on a baking stone or baking sheet.  Top with a thin layer of bean dip mixture, spreading almost to the edge.  Top with ¼ of the chicken mixture.  Top with approximately 1 ½ cups of cheese.  Repeat layers 3 more times.  Top with remaining tortilla spread with the remainder of the bean dip mixture.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake at 375°F for 35 minutes or until cheese is completely melted.

*I use Pampered Chef brand Southwest Seasoning Mix