Taco Soup - Love in a Bowl

This is a soup I first tasted when I worked in a Mexican Restaurant in Texas and I fell in love with it. I have tried for years to find this soup again and have tasted it at many restaurants but nothing close to that first bowl.Last night, I decided to recreate my own Tortilla soup using parts of other recipes and what I remembered from that Tortilla soup in Midland Texas. I think it comes pretty darn close. The little something extra is the green onion as well as the homemade tortilla strips. I hope you love it because it is one of my very favorites.


Taco Soup

6 chicken breasts

Drizzle with Olive Oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place about a cup of water on the pan with chicken, this helps prevent the chicken drying out. Roast on a cookie sheet at 300 for 35 minutes or until cooked through. Shred while still warm and salt and pepper. Set aside.



For soup base:

2 tbsp of olive oil and butter
1 half diced onion
1 diced celery stock
6 small carrots diced
3 minced of garlic
½ tsp of cumin
¼ tsp of chili powder
2 tsp of southwest seasoning
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp of tomato paste
1 container of Chicken stock
1 can of chicken broth
4 cups of water
4 chicken bouillon cubes
1 can of diced tomatoes with lime and cilantro
1 tbsp of cilantro
2 tbsp of lime juice

4-8 shakes of Cholula hot sauce
Salt and pepper to taste (about 1 and a half tbsp)

Saute the vegetables in the olive oil and butter and add the spices. When they are soft and the onions translucent add the tomato paste and briefly cook. Add the chicken stock, chicken broth, water, and bouillon cubes. Mix and add hot sauce to taste. Add the tomatoes with juice, cilantro and the lime juice and simmer for 20 minutes. Check for taste and adjust salt and pepper accordingly.




Condiments:

2 ripe avocadoes diced into cubes.
Pour about 1 tbsp of lime juice over pieces to keep it nice and green
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese shredded
1 green onion diced
Cilantro washed and stems removed, I prefer to chop it slightly
Lime wedges
Sour cream
Tortilla strips



To make tortillas strips:
Take corn tortillas in a stack and cut into strips about 1 cm in dimension each. You can do this with a large pizza cutter or a knife. Heat up a small frying pan with corn oil on medium heat. Place a handful of strips at a time in oil and crisp each side. Place on a paper towel and salt lightly. Finish rest of pile.

How to assemble soup:

Place a small handful of chicken in bottom of bowl, place desired condiments: diced avocado, green onions, cilantro, and Monterey Jack cheese. Ladle soup over this which will heat up the condiments and melt cheese. Then top with tortilla strips and a dollop of sour cream. Squeeze on lime and enjoy. This is a pretty, delicious soup on a cold winter evening. Enjoy with a slice of hot jalapeno cheddar corn bread.