Chicken Tortilla Soup (Minus Tortillas)

Hello dears,

It’s been a few days so you’re probably wondering if I’ve starved to death and/or fallen off the wagon.  I’m happy to report no to both.  I’m starting to get into the rhythm, finding things I can eat, and making smart choices.  I’ve already caught myself trying to nibble on things I’m not supposed to, but I’m going strong.  Here’s the status of my fruit bowl:

Ok, so most of those are limes and lemons, but I plan on cooking a bunch with them.  I’m going to make a fantastic meal tomorrow that will just knock your socks off.

Now, as you can see, I have the perfect ingredients for some delicious Mexican food.  In fact, I made some sloppy guacamole while cooking.

I would be lying if I did not admit that one of my favorite genres of food is Mexican food.  Though I’m pretty sensitive to spicy foods, I can navigate my way around any menu to find the exact craving I have.  After all, what isn’t to love about warm tortillas, heaping piles of cheese, and succulent shredded beef.  Now now now, I’m sure you’re going to tell me, “That isn’t REAL Mexican.”

Maybe, but I eat cilantro lime rice and black beans and a quesadilla at least once a week.  It’s a staple in my diet.  A lot of Mexican food is.  I blame it on the time I spent in Colorado, the late night dashes to the 24/7 drive-thrus or the warm tortillas you could buy from La Casita which were made on site.  They just fell into my diet.

And a lot of Mexican food is really off limits for my detox right now.  Stupid detox that’s going to help me for the better.

Flour.  Dairy.  White rice.  Just a few of the “no-no” foods.  At first, I was a little upset, but then I forgot about my favorite meal using Mexican flavors.

Now, I highly doubt tortilla soup is eaten in Mexico; however, it does combine the basics of Mexican cuisine– onions, tomatoes, and cilantro.  It has a nice kick and even without the tortillas, it gave me a great satisfaction.  You can add some things like cheese, rice and tortilla strips to this soup to give it a little extra somethin’ somethin’.

I apologize for the quality of this picture.  I was falling asleep while making this, I was just that tired for some reason:

Tortilla Soup
- serves 4 -
adapted from Serious Eats

Ingredients

For the soup:
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon for cooking the chicken
1/3 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tomatoes, diced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
6 cups chicken broth
12 ounces boneless skinless chicken, thigh or breast

For garnishes:
Small handful cilantro leaves, chopped
1 avocado, cut into chunks
1 cup chopped stemmed spinach

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat then sautee the onions until translucent.  Add the garlic and cook for about a minute longer.  Add tomatoes, salt, and oregano and cook for another minute.  Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for about thirty minutes until the majority of the tomatoes are melted (I never got mine to fully melt, but I was kind of crazy in the ktichen.)

About fifteen minutes before the soup is done, heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat in a saucepan.  Sear the chicken on both sides until golden brown on both sides.  Don’t worry about if it’s completely cooked through as you will now add it ti the soup and for about three minutes.

Serve and garnish with avacado, spinach and cilantro leaves.

For an additional spice, you can toast chiles and add them or add some cayenne pepper.  be very careful when adding cayenne, as you don’t want to make it too spicy.

As pictured, I added some black beans in the soup.