75 minutes
A flavorful and hearty chicken soup with crispy tortilla strips, fresh toppings, and a rich, aromatic broth.
cups
Onions, quartered
each
Garlic Clove, peeled
each
sprigs
sprigs
to taste
to taste
Bone-in Split Chicken Breasts, trimmed
0 lb
Bone-in Chicken Thighs, trimmed
0 lb
Corn Tortillas, cut into ½-inch-wide strips
each
tablespoons
Tomatoes, cored and quartered
each
Jalapeño Chile, stemmed and seeded
each
Minced Canned Chipotle Chile In Adobo Sauce
teaspoons
Cotija Cheese, crumbled
0 oz
Avocado, halved, pitted, and cut into ½-inch dice
each
0 oz
cups
Jalapeño Chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
each
Lime Wedges
to taste
1. Poach the Chicken
In a large pot, combine the chicken broth, quartered onions, garlic cloves, cilantro sprigs, oregano sprig, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the chicken and bring to a simmer. Let the mixture cook gently until the chicken is fully done and tender. Once done, remove the chicken from the pot and let it cool until you can handle it comfortably. Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces using your hands or a fork.
2. Strain the Broth
Strain the broth through a strainer to remove and discard the onions, garlic, and herbs. This leaves you with a clear and flavor-packed broth, perfect for the soup base.
3. Prepare the Tortilla Strips
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Toss the tortilla strips with vegetable oil and spread them out on a baking sheet. Bake them until they are crisp and golden, which should take about 10-15 minutes. These will add a delightful crunch to your soup.
4. Make the Vegetable Puree
Combine the quartered tomatoes, another onion, additional garlic cloves, and the stemmed and seeded jalapeño in a food processor. Puree until smooth. Transfer this puree to a pot and cook over medium heat until it becomes fragrant and darkened, which should take about 10 minutes.
5. Combine Broth and Puree
Add the strained broth to the pot with the cooked vegetable puree. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it cook for 15 minutes to meld the flavors together.
6. Assemble the Soup
Layer the crisp tortilla strips at the bottom of each bowl. Ladle the hot broth over the strips, then add the shredded chicken. Finish by garnishing with crumbled Cotija cheese, diced avocado, a dollop of Mexican crema or sour cream, fresh cilantro leaves, minced jalapeño chile, and a squeeze of lime juice.
Use vegetable broth, add black beans or quinoa for protein, and increase the variety of vegetables like squash and kale. Top with avocado and queso fresco.
While chicken is the traditional choice, you could swap it for shredded pork, beef, or even go vegetarian with black beans or chickpeas for a hearty alternative.
Use fish or shrimp broth, incorporate seafood like shrimp or white fish, and add diced avocados and tomatoes for freshness.
The base of any good soup, the broth can be chicken, vegetable, or beef for varying depths of flavor. For a seafood twist, a fish or shrimp broth could be used.
Swap in beef broth and shredded beef, add kidney beans, and increase the heat with chipotle peppers. Garnish with radishes and cilantro.
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