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You guys, I have an awesome giveaway for you today! Make sure you scroll down to the bottom to enter, but first…Once upon a time I worked at a rainforest-themed restaurant at the Mall of America, and since the whole place was a tourist attraction, we would get customers from all over the world. It was pretty awesome. But during the dead, humid heat of a Minnesota summer, I would always secretly gape at my customers who would order hot tea. Ew. Who wants to drink hot tea when it’s so freaking hot out.
Ew.
So I got a little bold one day, and asked a customer why he ordered hot tea, and he gave me the most reasonable response: it raises you body temperature, which makes you feel cooler when out in hot weather! Which brings me to this Chicken Tortilla Soup.
I’ve always had a lower than average body temperature, and it can be ridiculously annoying, because it is so hot and humid here in San Antonio. I am literally always melting. But the awesome thing is that everywhere you go, there is soup. Soup is such an essential part of the Hispanic lifestyle, we pretty much have it for at least one meal per day. And there are so many wonderful flavors to choose from, between Caldo, Roasted Poblano Soup, Black Bean Soup, Fideo, Menudo, Chicken Tortilla, and many, many more, there is always something to bring your temperature up so you can face the heat, as well as soothe the soul.
It’s essentially your grandma’s best recipe, because grandma always makes it the best, am I right or am I right?
Chicken tortilla soup is a very nuanced soup, meaning, there are tons of ways to make it. I personally like my way the best, ha. It uses fresh ingredients, as well as Swanson’s Chicken Broth, which I grabbed a 6-pack of while at Sam’s Club (I’m feeding a large family, after all!), and the flavors are so robust and intense, with just a hint of spice, it will leave you satisfied and ready to tackle anything coming your way. There are a lot of ingredients, and I know it can seem scary, hard, or overwhelming, but I promise, once you dive into this recipe, you’ll be surprised at how easy it is to make!
And oh! OH! So, I learned this awesome trick for shredding chicken way back forever ago, but I never really had a chance to try it, until now, and omg it is the best trick ever. Put your still hot chicken in a mixing bowl, and let the paddle attachment go to town. It’s totally shredded in less than 30 seconds! It would take me like 5-10 minutes to do that with a couple forks! So yay, time saver!
Are you ready to grab your veggies, spices, and Swanson’s Chicken Broth? Cause it’s on like Donkey Kong, my friends. Get cookin’, and be sure to stop by Sam’s Club to grab yourself a 6-pack of delicious Swanson’s Chicken Broth, and check out the Social Hub for more great recipes, then come back and tell me which one you want to try!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil divided
- 1 1/2 tsp Cumin
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 Tbsp Kosher Salt
- 2 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/2 C Long Grain White Rice not instant rice
- 1 C Red Onion diced
- 1 Yellow Bell Pepper diced
- 1 Red Bell Pepper diced
- 2 Garlic Cloves Minced
- 2 Large Tomatoes diced
- 2 Serrano Peppers seeds and veins removed, diced
- 32 ounces Chicken Broth
- 4 1/2 C Hot Water
- 3 Tbsp Tomato Paste
- 1 Can 15 Oz. Can Black Beans, Drained
- 3 Tbsp Maseca or cornmeal
- 2 Large Zucchini sliced and quartered
- 3 C Crispy Tortilla Strips
- Cilantro for ganish
- Avocado for garnish
- Queso Fresco for garnish
- Crema for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cumin, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, kosher salt and pepper in a small bowl. Drizzle 1 Tbsp of the olive oil on chicken breasts, then lightly coat chicken with half of the seasoning and pat down with hand.
- Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees. Place chicken breasts in the bowl of a mixer and use the paddle attachment to shred the chicken. Set aside.
- Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add the rice and cook, stirring occasionally until the rice begins to toast, about 5 minutes. Add onions, red and yellow pepper, and minced garlic. Stir to combine, cook for about 1-2 minutes then add the remaining seasoning and stir. Add shredded chicken and stir.
- Dump in the tomatoes, serrano peppers, chicken stock, 4 cups of water, tomato paste and black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 40 minutes, uncovered.
- Mix Maseca (or cornmeal) with remaining 1/2 cup of water. Pour into the soup, then simmer for an additional 20 minutes. Adjust seasonings if needed, then add the cut zucchini and simmer for 10 more minutes. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving, and top with crispy tortilla chips, cilantro, avocado, Queso Fresco, and crema. Devour!
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