This Chicken Tortilla Soup is easy to make and packed with great flavor.
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed chicken broth
- 1 cup whole corn kernels cooked
- 1 cup white hominy
- 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans rinsed and drained
- 2 boneless chicken breast halves cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces
- crushed tortilla chips
- sliced avocado
- shredded monterey jack cheese
- chopped green onions
- Carbohydrate 94.7913843196016 g
- Cholesterol 338.732 mg
- Fat 99.3678680014079 g
- Fiber 18.7717203505853 g
- Protein 122.417842000334 g
- Saturated Fat 47.9110436001607 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (1229g)
- Sodium 1468.64190002083 mg
- Sugar 76.0196639690163 g
- Trans Fat 7.06869640005791 g
- Calories 1716 calories
Step-by-step
- In a medium stock pot, heat oil over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic in oil until soft. Stir in chili powder, oregano, tomatoes, broth, and water. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Stir in corn, hominy, chiles, beans, cilantro, and chicken. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Ladle soup into individual serving bowls, and top with crushed tortilla chips, avocado slices, cheese, and chopped green onion.
Standard chicken soup relies on simple poultry fat and simmering roots, but tortilla soup introduces a distinct aromatic architecture through the fat-soluble extraction of capsaicin and dried spices. Toasting chili powder directly in olive oil for 30 seconds releases hydrophobic flavor compounds that water-based broths cannot dissolve effectively. Crushed tomatoes provide citric and malic acids, which lower the pH of the stock and sharpen the palate against the dense starches found in hominy and corn.
Sautéing onions and garlic over medium heat initiates the Maillard reaction, developing complex savory molecules before the liquids dilute the pan. Simmering the tomato-broth base for 5 to 10 minutes concentrates these sugars while evaporating harsh raw garlic volatiles. Folding the pre-cooked chicken and canned beans into the pot during the final 10 minutes prevents the poultry muscle fibers from tightening further and turning mealy.
Storage requires cooling the pot below 40 degrees Fahrenheit within two hours to inhibit bacterial growth. Freezing the liquid base works well for up to three months, though starchy additions like hominy can soften considerably during thawing. Reheat portions gently on the stovetop to 165 degrees Fahrenheit, adding fresh crushed tortilla chips only at service so the starches retain a crisp structural bite against the hot broth.
