Tortilla Soup With Shredded Chicken

This recipe comes from the blog The Reluctant Gourmet. You can adjust the amount of spices to bring the heat up or down depending on how you prefer your soup. I used the minimum amount of spices because my family (my son) is not fond of spicy foods. I did not use the cilantro for similar reasons. You can save some time if you use rotisserie chicken. The soup can be served with just the fried tortillas or you can include freshly diced avocado, shredded cheddar cheese, or sour cream. You can use any combination or all of those to add to this soup. I happened to have some sour cream so I used a dollop of that on top of my soup.

Tortilla Soup Recipe with Shredded Chicken

Servings: 8

INGREDIENTS:

· 8 tablespoons Canola oil

· 5 10" to 12" corn tortillas

· 1 onion

· 6 garlic cloves

· 1 small bunch of cilantro

· 2 - 14.5 oz. cans of diced tomatoes

· 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth

· 14 ounces of canned or frozen corn

· 3/4 – 1-1/2 Tablespoons ground cumin

· 1/2 - 1 Tablespoon chili powder

· 4 bay leaves

· 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves or try thighs

· 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

· juice from 1 lime

Directions:

Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Wash and towel try the cilantro, remove stems and chop. Open the cans of tomatoes and have them ready. Rinse the chicken under cold water and dry.

Cut up 2 of the tortillas into 1/4 inch strips and fry them in 3 tablespoons of Canola oil. You want them to be a golden brown but be careful not to burn them, they cook quickly. Remove the strips from pot and transfer to some paper towels to drain. Season with a little salt.

Heat the remaining oil over medium high heat and saute the onions for a couple of minutes. Then add garlic and saute for another minute or two. Tear the remaining 3 corn tortillas into bite size pieces and add to the pot.

Add the cilantro, stir, and cook for a minute more. Add the canned tomatoes with their juice and the chicken broth, cumin, chili powder, and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, add the corn, whole chicken breasts, and cayenne. Simmer the chicken breasts for 15 to 20 minutes until cooked throughout. Remove the chicken breasts and put aside to cool. Turn off the soup at this point.

Remove the bay leaves. Once the chicken breasts are cool, shred them with your hands and return to the pot. Add your lime juice and taste for spiciness. Reheat, and serve with the fried tortilla strips.

Enjoy!

The Creative Cook

Barbecued Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

I almost forgot to post this recipe. This is the first time I ever tried making pulled chicken. I made it last week and it was a very good work-night meal. I would recommend it. Sadly, I didn't make a note about where the original recipe came from. I always like to give praise when it is due. My son, who really wanted pulled-pork that day, even enjoyed this chicken.

Barbecued Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

For the Chicken:

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts

6 hamburger buns, split and toasted

For the Sauce:

½ cup ketchup

½ cup barbecue sauce

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoons molasses

1 tablespoon yellow mustard

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 pinch salt

3 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 teaspoon Hot Sauce

Directions:

1. Cover the bottom of a slow-cooker with the onions. Place the chicken on top of the bed of onions.

2. In a medium bowl, combine all of the sauce ingredients and pour on top of the chicken

3. Cover and cook on low until the chicken is fork-tender and shreds easily, about 6 hours. Pull apart chicken with two forks. Serve on top of toasted split buns.

Enjoy!

The Creative Cook