Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Garden Chicken Tortilla Soup

I made this soup start to finish, we ate it and I cleaned up - all within the span of 90 minutes. I used 8, e i g h t, produce items from my CSA in this soup!
They are: onion, garlic, green pepper, jalapeno pepper, green onions, bok choy, cabbage, tomatoes and parsley (of course it would have been much better with cilantro, but I didn't have any - so I used parsley). Make that 9 ingredients fresh from the farm if you count the parsley.

If you don't have all the greens listed (green onions, baby bok choy, cabbage) - don't make a special trip to the grocery store to buy them -use whatever greens you have - or none at all! That's the beautiful thing about soup. You do need everything else, though.

1) For the Chicken: I love when I can use leftover roast chicken and pull the white meat off and add it to a dish the next day. If you don't have this on hand, take 1-2 chicken breasts (bone-on preferably) and simmer them (do not boil!) in 2 quarts of chicken broth til tender. Cool and pull the meat off, tear into pieces, reserve the broth.
2) Prep the vegetables while the chicken is cooking:
Thinly slice 1/2 onion
Chop 2-4 cloves fresh garlic (depending on your preference)
Halve and thinly slice a small green bell pepper, seeds removed
Halve and thinly slice a couple of jalapeno peppers (or any other hot pepper)
Cut root off of bok choy, slice stalks into 1/4" slices, rough chop leaves
Chop into 1/2" pieces a small head green cabbage (or 1/4 of a regular size)
Cut 2-3 fresh tomotoes into 1/2" pieces, seeds removed
Chop 2-3 tbsp cilantro (or parsley)
3) Heat enough vegetable oil to cover bottom of stock pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and both peppers and cook about 5-8 minutes til tender (do not brown)
4) Add 2 quarts of chicken broth and bring up to a boil.
5) Add the cooked chicken meat and remaining vegetables and allow to come to boil, reduce heat and simmer only aboout 5-10 minutes more.
6) Season with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
7) Serve with corn tortilla chips, broken up.
8) Bonus optional garnishes: diced fresh avocado and or a cheese such as shredded monterey jack or queso freso.

This is a great summer soup and that I hope you enjoy!

3 comments:

  1. Oh, this sounds awesome! :) I have to ask ... why should we simmer but not boil the chicken? Thanks!

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  2. oh, I looooove Tortilla Soup...as a matter of fact, I'm on a quest to find the best one out there...I'd love to have you link up and join me here: http://girlichef.blogspot.com/2010/05/tortilla-soup-challenge-please-join-me.html
    I found you via Homegrown.org...can't wait to read more =)

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  3. This sounds amazing, and something I think my kids will actually eat! Love the new blog, I've bookmarked it!

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