Crocodile Cafe's Chicken Tortilla Soup
Inspired by the chicken tortilla soup I had at Crocodile Café this tortilla soup comes together quickly and delivers loads of fresh Mexican recipe flavor.
Yield
8 servingsPrep
20 minCook
20 minReady
40 minIngredients
| Amount | Measure | Ingredient | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | cups |
chicken broth
|
*
|
| 1 | large |
red onion
diced |
*
|
| 3 | medium |
italian plum (roma) tomatoes
|
*
|
| ½ | bunch |
cliantro sprigs
chop stems finely, reserve some leaves for garnish |
* |
| 6 | whole |
ancho chilies
dried, made into a paste, see notes in recipe |
*
|
| 12 | ounces |
chicken breasts
about 2 breasts |
*
|
| 6 | ounces |
queso fresco
crumbled or other Mexican cheese - feta can work as well as a substitute |
* |
| 4 | ounces |
tortilla chips
or 2 corn tortillas fried crisp |
*
|
Ingredients
| Amount | Measure | Ingredient | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 |
chicken broth
|
*
|
|
| 1 |
red onion
diced |
*
|
|
| 3 |
italian plum (roma) tomatoes
|
*
|
|
| 0.5 |
cliantro sprigs
chop stems finely, reserve some leaves for garnish |
* | |
| 8 |
ancho chilies
dried, made into a paste, see notes in recipe |
*
|
|
| 2 |
chicken breasts
about 2 breasts |
*
|
|
| 6 |
queso fresco
crumbled or other Mexican cheese - feta can work as well as a substitute |
* | |
| 4 |
tortilla chips
or 2 corn tortillas fried crisp |
*
|
Directions
Add 1/2 the chicken stock and diced red onion to a large pot and bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts, reduce heat to simmer, cover and poach the chicken until cooked through.
Meanwhile, add the remaining chicken stock to a blender with broken-up tortilla chips. Whiz/blend until combined and slightly thickened.
Remove the chicken breasts from the stock and shred with two forks.
Add the chicken stock/tortilla mixture from the blender into the boiling chicken stock. Add the tomatoes, cilantro (reserve some leaves for garnish), ancho chile paste, shredded chicken, and bring back to the boil, then turn off the heat. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Serve this perfect tortilla soup recipe garnished with cilantro, lime wedges, ranchero cheese, and fried tortilla strips (or crushed tortilla chips) if desired.
Notes
Instead of tortilla chips, you may also use fried corn tortillas. Fry corn tortillas in pre-heated hot oil until crispy, then add to the blender in place of the chips.
How to make ancho chile paste
Add boiling water to a measuring cup or bowl to just cover 6 or 7 ancho chilies, let soak until tender. Remove the ancho chiles, remove the seeds and stems, add to a food processor and blend with just enough water to blend into a paste. If desired, strain through a sieve to remove any skins.
-- from the CROCODILE CAFE, Pasadena, CA.
