Soup season is here, and we're living for this warming comfort food recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup (or Sopa Azteca) from cookbook author Sonia Mendez Garcia. This simple recipe consists of fresh-cooked chicken breast and tasty garnishes such as fried tortilla strips, queso panela and avocado, while the broth boasts creaminess and tons of flavor from its secret ingredient, ¡Ya Oaxaca! Honey Orange Chintestle Adobo Sauce. Make a batch of the broth and then simply reheat and top with fresh garnishes throughout the week for satisfying meal in minutes. 

Prep Time- 30 minutes

Cook Time- 50 minutes

Servings- 6 Servings

 

Ingredients

2 large boneless chicken breasts, 2 lbs., 520 gr

1 jar ¡Ya Oaxaca! Chintestle Adobo/Sauce

½ med. white onion, 186 gr

3 large cloves of garlic, 28 gr

3 bay leaves

1 1/2 tsps. salt

8 c water or chicken broth

3 c vegetable

2 chile ancho, 40 gr, stems and seeds removed

12-15 corn tortillas sliced into strips

10 oz queso panela or fresco, sliced into cubes

2 avocados, diced or sliced

1/2 c Mexican crema

2 limes sliced into wedges

 

Instructions

1. In a medium pot, combine the 8 cups of water with the chicken breast, onion, garlic and bay leaves. Season with 1 1/2 tsps. of salt.  Bring to a boil at medium heat. Reduce heat to a light simmer and cook for 30-35 minutes. Skim off the top foam as needed.

2. While the chicken is cooking prepare dried chiles and tortilla strips.

In a medium saucepan, pour in all the oil, minus 2 tbsps. Preheat to medium heat for 5 minutes. When oil is hot, fry the tortilla strips until crunchy. Stirring them now and then as they fry will help them fry more evenly. Drain onto a plate lined with paper towels. Salt lightly while they are still warm.    

In that same hot oil fry, carefully drop in the chile ancho and fry for several seconds per side or until the chile has a crisp texture. Don’t let it burn or it will become bitter. Transfer to a cutting board lined with a paper towel. Once cool, chop crispy chiles to resemble large chile flakes. Place in serving bowl.  

3. When ready, remove the cooked chicken from the broth, reserving the broth for later. Discard the onion, bay leaves and garlic. Using two forks, shred the chicken as fine as you can. Transfer to a bowl. Cover and reserve.

4. In a medium pot, heat the remaining oil to medium heat. After a few minutes when oil is hot, carefully pour in all the Honey Orange Chintestle Adobo. Stir well to combine. Reduce heat slightly and cook for 3 minutes. Pour in 6 cups of the reserved broth from cooking the chicken. Stir well to combine and cook for 8-9 minutes or until soup is very hot.

5. To serve, divide the chicken into 6 medium shallow bowls. Add some tortilla strips. Divide the hot soup into the bowls with chicken. Top with more tortilla strips. Garnish with queso panela, crispy chile ancho, avocado, crema and lime. Serve right away.

Notes: Slice corn tortillas into strips the day before and let them dry out on the counter. This will help the strips fry up faster and absorb less oil.