Smokin' Chicken Tortilla Soup

A couple of months ago, I was enjoying my very first walk through Target post broken leg when I came across a clearance end cap. There are few things more exciting than a whole rack of items with red clearance stickers on them (can I get an amen?).

Mixed into this random mix of housewares was a cookbook, "Cowgirl Chef: Texas Cooking with a French Accent."

Texas? Cowgirl? How did I now know who this was?!

It had been marked down... and down again... from $25.00 to $12.50 and then again to $7.50.

I don't collect cookbooks (or even use them that often!) but this was TEXAS cooking - and it was pretty and small in it's layout.

So I bought it, brought it home, and promptly forgot about it.

I'm so glad I found it while cleaning a few days ago because it's a beautiful cookbook with lots of delicious sounding recipes that will be made at our house in the near future. For our first recipe, I went with the fall friendly tortilla soup. Her method was different than any I'd tried but it promised a thick and substantial soup - not a runny brothy soup.

We weren't disappointed!

To thicken the soup, you puree toasted tortillas right into it. It makes for a thick and hearty bowl of tortillay goodness. Add lots of roasted garlic and some rotisserie chicken and you've got yourself a meal!

Psst - the toasted tortilla strips are not optional. Please make them - they are perfect with this soup!

Smokin' Chicken Tortilla Soup
1 onion, cut into eight wedges
8 cloves of garlic, left in their skins
canola oil
6 corn tortillas
28 ounce can of whole tomatoes, and their juices
1 canned chipotle in adobo (if you like smoky spice; if not, omit)
4 cups chicken stock
sea salt and pepper
1 pound shredded cooked chicken
Toasty Tortilla Strips (see below)
1 avocado, chopped
a handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
1 lime, sliced into wedges

Preheat your broiler. Toss the onion pieces and the garlic cloves onto a foil lined baking sheet. Drizzle with a bit of oil and toss around with your hands. Broil until the onions char around the edges, about 10-15 minutes.

Put your tortillas directly on the rack directly beneath the onions and garlic and let them crisp. They should be done at the same time as the onions/garlic.

When cool enough to handle, squeeze the garlic out of its skins and toss into a blender along with the onions, crispy tortillas (torn into pieces), tomatoes, chipotle, stock, and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Puree until smooth then pour into a large soup pot. Turn the heat to medium, add the shredded chicken and give it a stir. Let this come to a boil, turn down the heat, and simmer for another 15-20 minutes.

Serve with a handful of Toasty Tortilla Strips, avocado, cilantro, shredded cheese, and lime on the side.

Toasty Tortilla Strips
8 corn tortillas
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
canola oil

Preheat oven to 450.

Slice the tortillas into strips about 1/2 inch wide. Toss them in a bowl with chile powder, sea salt, and a little canola oil. Mix with hands until all the strips are evenly coated.

Spread the strips on a baking sheet and bake until they're crispy, about 15 minutes (flipping about halfway).

Source: Cowgirl Chef: Texas Cooking with a French Accent by Ellise Pierce