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There are few things more welcoming and comforting on a cold, rainy January day than the aroma of a pot of soup simmering on the stove. When I make soup I know I always have a meal ready if my day gets crazy or if family or friends stop by unexpectedly. Tortilla soup is a family favorite and when I ran across Ina’s recipe it was a “must-try” because I haven’t met one of her recipes I didn’t like. This recipe is good, but not great. It’s too thick for my taste and wasn’t as flavorful as I expected from the ingredient list. I do like to serve soups that call for bowls of condiments on the table so everyone can garnish their soup to suit themselves. If you love Ina’s recipes as much as I do I encourage to try this one. It may turn out to be your favorite.
- 4 split (2 whole) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
- Good olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups chopped onion (2 onions)
- 1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)
- 2 cups chopped carrot (4 carrots)
- 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
- 2-1/2 quarts chicken stock, preferably homemade
- 1 28 ounce can whole tomatoes in puree, crushed
- 2 to 4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
- ¼ to ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, optional
- 6 (6-inch) fresh corn tortillas
- For serving: sliced avocado, sour cream, grated cheddar cheese and tortilla chips
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- Place the chicken breasts skin side up on a sheet pan. Rub with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until done. when the chicken is cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones, and shred the meat. Cover and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onions, celery, and carrots and cook over medium-low yeat for 10 minutes, or until the onions start to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes with their puree, jalapenos, cumin, coriander, 1 tablespoon salt (depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock), 1 teaspoon pepper, and the cilantro, if using. Cut the tortillas in half, then cut them crosswise into ½-inch strips and add to the soup. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and season to taste.
- Serve the soup topped with sliced avocado, sour cream, grated cheddar cheese and broken tortilla chips.
It isn’t unusual for me to take another shot at a recipe I wasn’t thrilled with. If the basics are good a few tweaks can sometimes change it into a dish that suits my family’s taste. Maybe adding half the amount of tomatoes would do the trick. Here are three of my tried and true recipes that I make over and over. Add a small salad and some crusty bread and you have a hearty and satisfying cold weather meal that is welcome any day of the week.
Vegetable Barley Soup
White Bean and Ham Soup
Fisherman’s Chowder with Herbed Oyster Crackers
I’ve made this soup several times and it is one of my favorites. I will add that it is very filling and no one will go away hungry after being served this soup. Perhaps I like it because it gives me permission to eat the chips on top (smile). Great photos as always Cathy.
Sam
Sam @ My Carolina Kitchen recently posted..Potage Parmentier – French Leek & Potato Soup
I have been wanting to make Ina’s Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup; it sounds more like a complete meal; love to do this on the weekends for supper. Great photo Cathy.
Yesterday, I made a big pot of Vegetable Barley soup that I added a can of beans; so good. Love to make a pot on Mondays and it serves as or lunches for the week.
This one will be a weekend special.
Rita
Looks great Cathy. All we need now is some soup weather! It has been glorious and sunshiney for two weeks!!!!
I just made tortiilla soup for the first time not too long ago — and I loved it. But I’m sure I’d love Ina’s version even more. She never fails!
Sprigs of Rosemary recently posted..Popeye Powered Green Rice
I am always looking for new soup to try and this Tortilla Soup looks so good! I usually like my soup less thick as well but there are nights when we are looking for something filling in a single bowl. I will probably swap Serrano chilies for the jalepenos but that is just a personal preference. Can’t wait to try it out this weekend!
~Holliday
Holliday recently posted..Spicy Turkey Croquettes with Avocado Sauce
I had good ol homemade soup for lunch. It’s rainy and yucky today. Am wearing a short sleeve shirt. Tomorrow will have to be probably wearing hunting gear. Suppose to go down in the 20’s by this weekend.
Ramona recently posted..Drat – Drat – Double Dog Drat
I love Ina’s version of this soup… it’s so good! Yours looks wonderful Cathy.
All four of these soups look delicious Cathy and the Mexican one would be a good use of some of my smoked chicken.
Larry recently posted..Salisbury Steak Ala Lynda
Looks fantastic!
Tortilla soup is on my list for this winter. I’ve made Ina’s Chick Tort Soup and I don’t remember it being as thick as yours looks.
Karen recently posted..Slow Roasted Garlic Mojo (Mojo de Ajo)
I’m going to bookmark all four of your soup recipes for the table IF Chicago’s winter ever arrives.
Best,
Bonnie
Bonnie recently posted..C*E*L*E*B*R*A*T*E — Capricorn
I t does look a bit thick, sorry you were not thrilled but I bet if you play with it a bit you can tweak it to your liking 🙂 All of your soups look wonderful!
Magic of Spice recently posted..What’s for dinner? Truffled Mac n Cheese with Shitaki Shrooms and Spelt Noodles
All the soups look so good. Nice for a cold day in January for sure. I think I’d like those any day. Saving them, hope to get to the tortilla soup first!
Carol @There’s Always Thyme to Cook recently posted..Wordless Wednesday
I am inspired to crate some heartwarming soups in my own kitchen!
bellini recently posted..Betty Fussell and the White Dog Cafe’s Philly Cheese Steak
It looks quite filling, which is just the way my husband likes soup. I’ll have to try it Cathy, and I’ll let you know if it’s a hit.
Your picture is wonderful, by the way.
Good review! I thought it looked a lot thicker than mine and loved hearing that you didn’t like it as much. The stuffed French toast looks fabulous!
Jacqueline recently posted..My Birthday Table – Purple Elegance
I agree, Ina’s recipes are usually “no-fail”. Like you, I do like a brothier tortilla soup. Once I’m done with “eat the freezer” I’ll be back to lots of soups.
I actually like that white bean soup 😉 hearty and delicious.
Angie@Angiesrecipes recently posted..Wholegrain Spelt Apple and Marzipan Cake
The recipe sounds good and is very colorful but I think I agree with you. The tortilla soup that I have had usually is a broth type soup and spicy. I’m sure you will be tweaking this and can’t wait for your version.
Karen (Back Road Journal) recently posted..Spaghetti Alle Vongole / Spaghetti With Clams
this looks great! i’ve never had a thicker tortilla soup, i’m a bit intrigued. i agree, nothing is better then a bowl of soup on a cold winter day!
teresa recently posted..Shepherd’s Pie with Sweet Potatoes
Love Ina’s recipes, too. Funny, I just posted the Chicken Tortilla soup from Everyday Food yesterday:-)…it has a thinner broth if you want to try another version..I had a real thick tortilla soup at a restaurant over Christmas and it was very different – I did like it, but I am also used to the thinner broth. Your other soups look good, too! I have been craving a good thick bean soup lately.
Becki’s Whole Life recently posted..Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup
Wow, Cathy…any one of those delicious looking soups would be great today! Cold & rainy here with promises of more snow to come. Oh joy.
I think I’ll try the chicken tortilla one first!
Thanks for the recipe & also for all the others, too. I know DH would love the Fisherman’s chowder one.
Warm hugs,
Rett
Ina’s tortilla soup looks more like a chili to me, but still each soup here looks amazing. I’m with you, soup gets us through the winter!
renee recently posted..Soup Fire…Run!
I like how thick this soup looks. The flavors look quite bold. I’m copying the recipe to make soon.
Christine @ Fresh Local and Best recently posted..Split Pea and Smoked Ham Soup
This soup sounded very interesting to me too. Love the colour as well. I bet it would be so good with some garlic bread. Slurpppp….
Hope you’re having a lovely day.
Blessings
Kristy
kristy recently posted..Taiwan Pineapple Cake
Souper pics, Cathy. They all look wonderful! I dont use recipes for soups, it tends to come out the same! A little of this and that. Today is the first day I thought about making soup, windy and chilly!
Kathleen recently posted..Eggsactly! Farm Fresh!
Ina’s soup is very good. I tweaked it a bit however. I added a can of Rotel, a can of DelMonte Summer Crisp Corn and used a can of pinto beans. I also seasoned the chicken (I used tenders) with the spice mixture and salt and pepper and sauteed them. Of course, Ina doesn’t like cilantro but I used that too. I used white corn tortillas which did thicken up the soup nicely but not too much. then I sliced the remaining white corn tortilla, seasoned them w/ salt and put them in the oven to crisp and serve on top of the finished soup. My family said “this is so freaking good”. That’s all I needed to hear!!!
¡HOLA, HOLA!
Soup looks delicious. : P
you’re right about consistency. La sopa de tortilla is liquid, is not thick at all. And it is delicious. A tip to give more flavor: sometimes in México we use lard and no oil, helps a lot in this sopup. And with chile chipotle seco…. mmmm súper delicious.