This afternoon heavy rain and strong winds blew in a cold front. On my drive home from work, I was awed by an unbelievable, beautiful double rainbow. As the sun set and the winds continued to howl, the temperature plummeted quickly. This evening prepping for my run required an extensive amount of apparel- gloves, a long sleeve tech shirt, athletic tights, a down vest, and a ski hat.
Most of the time as I run, I reflect on my day or formulate a blog post in my head; using the miles for inspiration. With the wind chill, tonight’s 43 degree temperature felt about ten degrees lower. My thoughts drifted to warm sandy beaches, extra hot chai lattes, and a boiling pot of homemade soup. Warm thoughts propelled me through the miles and windy conditions I encountered on tonight’s run.
What better way to kick off the weekend than with a pot of tortilla soup that warms the core and soothes the soul. On Christmas Eve my family shared bowls of savory soup and stories about life. A few days later, my friend Jenny hosted a soup exchange party and again a pot of homemade tortilla soup brought friends and family together. Then for New Year’s Eve, I made another batch of soup to share with our NYE guests. 2017 ended and the new year began with this simple and delicious recipe that I now share with you.
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cartons of chicken broth; sub with vegetable broth to make it vegetarian
- 1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
- 1 bunch of cilantro, stems trimmed
- 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 store bought rotisserie chicken, remove the skin and roughly chop; nix the chicken if you’re a vegetarian and consider adding zucchini or yellow squash in its place
- 1 jalapeno, chopped; remove the seeds if you want to tame down the heat
- 2 bags of frozen corn
- 2 cans of fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 1/2 tsp ground comino
- 1 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder
GARNISHES:
- Sliced jalapenos
- Grated cheese; my favorite is the Mexican blend
- Cojita cheese
- Fresh cilantro
- Sliced avocado
- Tortilla chips; I love Julio’s because the seasoning adds another layer of flavor to the soup
DIRECTIONS:
On medium high heat, sauté the garlic and onions in olive oil until translucent. Add the chicken, jalapenos, canned tomatoes, and spices and bring to a boil. Then allow the soup to simmer for several hours until you are ready to serve. About 45 minutes before you are ready to serve the soup, add the frozen corn and bunch of cilantro. Garnish with grated cheese, sliced avocado, cilantro, and tortilla chips. Serve with warm flour or corn tortillas and a side of Mexican rice.
Savor and enjoy your tortilla soup state of mind. Buen provecho!
Birds of a Feather 