Monday, October 26, 2009

Soup's on...

Finally we're getting cooler Autumn weather here in New York. It's actually a good time for soup! and this one is sure to warm your tummy!  You can make it as spicy or mild as you like! Nothing like craving something and having MOST of the ingredients on hand. It was a gorgeous, finally somewhat cold, Sunday afternoon. Perfect for soup. Perfect because we all manage to be home for dinner together on Sundays! Not so perfect because my style of cooking is to assume you know th erecipe, only to find the main ingredient was forgotten on the grocery list!

Oldest kid in the family, the one who drives, he came to the rescue, although under duress, a little begging and a bribe. There were football games on TV when I came to my realization I was missing the chicken! but I was already knee deep into soup prep and going nowhere! Not in my lovely sweats and beat up crocs I wear when it's a lazy cooking marathon Sunday! So off he goes, armed with cash, a shopping list with explicit instructions and my car keys!  and back he comes with everything on the list. Perfect. Almost.

Where I thought specifically said PLAIN Grilled Chicken Strips from Trader Joe's, in the refrigerator section by the fresh meats, somehow came home as the Grilled Teriyaki Chicken from Trader Joe's that I usually buy for salads! Also excellent but Creamy Teriyaki Chicken Tortilla Soup somehow didn't have the same ring to it. So back he went and since there was no Plain Grilled Chicken, he brought the Chipotle-Lime Grilled Chicken. Oldest kid, smart boy, took two cooking classes in High School, great sub, this was perfect! Added just the right amount of smoky heat! If you can't get Chipotle-Lime Grilled Chicken anywhere, then just add a little bit of ground Chipotle chilies or some Chipotle in Adobo. Not in the original recipe but a really delicious mistake! The corn CHIPS instead of the fresh corn tortilla's, also a great taste. and he made it home for the last quarter!






Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Source: Marilyn (DanaIN) - Gardenweb Cooking Forum
Printable Recipe

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion; chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 corn tortillas (regular or fried)
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes with chilies
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried  oregano
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese (optional)
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
juice from 1/2 fresh lime
1 cup diced, seeded Roma tomatoes or 1 cup salsa
Sour cream for garnish

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; sauté onions and garlic for 3 minutes. Slice or break tortillas into small pieces and add to onions and garlic; sauté until they are soft. Add tomatoes, broth and spices and bring to a boil. Remove from heat; allow to cool for 5 minutes. Puree soup base in batches in a blender or food processor until smooth, return soup to pot. (I used an immersion blender)

Add chicken, corn and cream and return to a boil then simmer for 5 minutes or until it starts to thicken. Reduce heat to medium-low and sprinkle in cheese and cilantro; stir to melt cheese. Add lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with tomatoes and a dollop of sour cream.

NOTES : I didn't use turmeric or cilantro. and I used Chipotle-Lime Grilled pre-cooked chicken from Trader Joe's. Gave the soup a nice smoky heat! I used an immersion blender, pureed the soup really well, added the chicken and shredded that, too, with the immersion blender. Came out fantastic! Topped with chopped tomatoes, sour cream, crushed up tortilla chips and some shredded cheese.

14 comments:

  1. Carol, I LOVE the bowl. Your soup looks delicious and the recipe sounds fantastic. I love the idea of pureeing the soup with an immersion blender.

    ReplyDelete
  2. OK, first, that bowl is fabulous. LOVE it.

    And the soup sounds wonderful. I LOVE Trader Joe's -- just wish there was one closer to us now that we've moved.

    Thanks for stopping in!
    Cass

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi! Congratulations for your blog! I'm Andrea, an Italian guy who created and managed a Food&Drink blog.
    What do you think about a link exchange? :)

    Sorry for my bad English! ;)

    Ricette Blog

    ReplyDelete
  4. MMMmmmmm...lemon mousse sounds so good! I like Martha's recipes.

    I love the colors of yellow and blue together ... such a pretty mosaic!

    You cracked me up by using the word "schlep" in your comment..only a New Yorker would know that! ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Soup sounds delicious, have printed it off. I ♥ this time of year when soup tastes extra good...why is it, it tastes so much better in the fall than any other time of the year? That is one happy little bowl!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love soup, and this one looks delicious. Thank you for the recipe. Karen

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh you are lucky he is so good tempered like L.!
    Soup looks good..not very nice today, but not cold either!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love tortilla soup. This sounds so good.
    Thanks for sharing this I'll be trying this one.
    Have a Blessed Week,
    Sherry

    ReplyDelete
  9. At least he came back with chicken the first time out. He probably figured you'd make it work, lol. I've never seen grilled chicken strips, but then we don't have a TJ's either. You should let Marilyn know about the great sub!

    ReplyDelete
  10. What a great sounding soup and what a great son to run out twice while the game was on :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Carol, that is one of the nicest bowls I have seen! I've made the tortilla soup, and it is really good. Your son is so good to his mom :-)

    ReplyDelete
  12. What a good sport your son was for going to the store twice! I'm sure he was rewarded with some very tasty soup :) The recipe sounds wonderful. That is a beautiful bowl too!

    ReplyDelete
  13. That looks satisfying!
    You know, I have yet to try Marilyn's Tortilla Soup.
    And it looks like all I needed was to see a picture like yours, to give me the proverbial push.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking the time to comment. They are fun to read and very much appreciated! Sorry for comment moderation, the spam has been overwhelming lately.

Back to top