Chicken Tortilla Soup

I don't know why I don't always have a batch of this soup in our fridge.  So good!!!  Five years ago I would have laughed at you if you would tell me that soup can be an entire meal. I guess I was used to terrible canned soups or the tiny cup of soup that you get at restaurants.  Oh how the times of changed.  

Now my view of soup is basically it is liquid salad!  Seriously though if you make a good soup it should resemble a salad.  So if you don't like to eat salad, I suggest you try soup instead.  This version of chicken tortilla soup is loaded up with veggies, quality protein, and of course some amazing chicken stock.  

When I make soup I love to make a huge batch because it tastes better the next day!  Feel free to scale this recipe up or down but it makes about 6 large bowls of soup.  Also as a little bonus here is a how I like to make my chicken stock at home which is super simple.  

Homemade Chicken Stock

Ingredients

• 5-6 pound whole chicken
• 1/2 pound chicken feet (optional but not really but this is where you get all that amazing gelatenous goodness!)
  
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 4-5 garlic cloves, smashed
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tsp dry thyme
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• Water

Directions

1. We use our pressure cooker if you don't have one you could do this in a stock pot or even in a slow cooker.  It will just take longer.  
2. Put your chicken and all your vegetables in your cooking vessel along with 2 cups of water.  If you using a pressure cooker you will need to cook for approximately 45-60 minutes depending on how big your chicken is.  Similar on a stove top and multiple hours in a slow cooker.  
3. After the chicken is cooked, remove it from your pot.  You can let it cool or if you are tough feel free to dig right in and start removing the meat from all the bones.  Add the bones back into the pot that still has the vegetables in it.  
4. Set your meat aside for later and discard the skin and gristle.  
5. Add the remaining seasonings and ingredients and fill up your pot with water.  We have a 6 quart stockpot and this amount of vegetables and spices works well with that amount of liquid.  
6. Pressure cook for 2-3 hours depending on how much time you have.  If you are using a stovetop or slow cooker you are looking at more like 24-48 hours.  
7. After cooking, strain it so you are just left with the liquid, store in the fridge for up to a week.  

Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 lb of shredded cooked chicken meat
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 0-3 jalepenos, seeds removed
• 2 tbsp of minced garlic
• 4 cups of pureed tomatoes
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• Cayenne pepper to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste

Garnishes/Toppings

• Green Onion
• Cilantro
• Corn Tortilla Chips
• Shredded Cheese
• Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt
• Hot sauce

Directions

1. In a large pot add the oil, then add the onion, peppers and garlic and cook over medium heat for 8 minutes or until softened.  
2. Add tomatoes and stock to the pot along with spices and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce to a low, add the chicken and simmer for minimum of 15 minutes or up to an hour.  
4. Your done, add with some of your favorite toppings and enjoy!