Chicken Tortilla Soup
This title should probably read “for the soul” because this soup is that good! I thought about doing a BLOG called “Costco Rotisserie Chicken” the gift that keeps giving. I mean seriously with only three of us eating meat a Costco Chicken makes at least 3 meals. The first night we eat healthy and eat the chicken with Veggies and Salad. Typically the second meal is Chicken Fried Rice or Pesto Pasta with Chicken or Chicken Panini’s. But the piece de resistance is the Chicken Tortilla Soup I make from the carcass and all the chicken still remaining on said carcass. It doesn’t have to be a Costco Chicken Carcass…it can be another rotisserie chicken or a chicken you roasted yourself. My youngest son Phillip LOVES Chicken Tortilla Soup and I made it a lot when he was living at home. And trust me…it was good. It might have even been great. But about a year ago I was really frustrated with Roasted Chicken carcasses being thrown away or tossing left over Rotisserie Chicken from Costco and I got an inspiration. I was going to make my own crazy version of bone broth from the carcass, chop up the remaining meat and make my own special tortilla soup. Not going to lie I also got inspiration from other people’s recipes but none of them were exactly how I would do it. So I took some suggestions from other recipes, added in the things I had been doing all along and added the step where I make my own broth. Now if you want an easier Chicken Tortilla Soup there are a lot of recipes out there that are quicker. All you have to do is read the reviews and see which appeal to you. But if you want a chicken tortilla soup that will knock your socks off…try this recipe and don’t cut any of the steps out or it won’t be AMAZING like this one. The broth is rich - not thick or watery like some recipes. The flavors blend together beautifully. The soup is beautiful and extremely flavorful right out of the pot. But when you add a sprinkle of grated cheese, a squirt of sour cream, some fresh avocado and the tortilla strips you will never eat another bowl of Chicken Tortilla Soup again without thinking about this one.
There are key aspects of this soup that make it delicious. The first is the broth. I cover a chicken (usually a leftover Costco Chicken) with 12 cups of water and cook this for 2-2 1/2 hours. The liquid will reduce to about 8 or 9 cups. This is key because you do not want more than nine cups of liquid when making the soup. The second element that is KEY is to saute the vegetable before adding the liquids. Now I am not a fan of HOT but do not leave out the Jalapeno from this recipe. It provides a flavor that is so delicious and if you remove the seeds carefully there is the very tiniest kick of heat. This is all outlined in the recipe in the recipe section. The next element is the addition of the corn tortillas (I prefer the street taco size but any will do). The tortillas dissolve in the soup creating a creaminess that is so yummy. The 1/3 cup of cilantro goes in 15 minutes before you are done cooking. It provides an amazing layer of flavor. Last but not least this soup becomes a gourmet meal with the addition of cheese, sour cream, avocado and tortilla strips.
Another nice tip is to make the broth and cut up the chicken the day before. This saves time and a few calories because you can skim any unwanted fat from the top of the cold broth. This soup is a special meal and your family will love it. Mangia!
