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Ancho Chicken Tortilla Soup

Yesterday it was fishing opener in Minnesota, May 11, 2013. It was a chilly, windy day with intermittent showers of sleet and pops of sunshine. We took a brisk walk down by the lake and I dreamed of soup to warm me up. Since it was so cold, chili first came to mind but I couldn't quite bring myself to go that route since I normally reserve chili for autumn days. Therefore, since I missed having Mexican food on Cinco de Mayo, I decided on chicken tortilla soup. Thanks to the Food Network and Rachael Ray this recipe hit the spot with its' variety of peppers and spice which was the kick we needed.
Course Soups
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4 -6
Author Karen

Ingredients

  • 6 6-inch flour tortillas
  • Cooking spray
  • 2 large ancho chiles seeded and stemmed
  • 1 quart chicken stock
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 ears corn on the cob husked, kernels removed or 1 cup frozen kernels, defrosted
  • 1 large red onion chopped
  • 1 jalapeno chile seeded and chopped
  • 1 red chile pepper seeded and chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 28-ounce can fire roasted diced or crushed tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 rotisserie chicken skinned and shredded
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 to 2 cups water
  • 2 limes
  • 2 ripe avocados halved
  • Sour cream for garnish
  • Cilantro leaves for garnish

Instructions

  • Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Slice the tortillas into 1/2-inch strips and scatter on large baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray and bake until golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and reserve.
  • While the tortillas crisp, add the ancho chiles and the chicken stock to a large pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chiles are tender. Remove from the heat to cool.
  • While the anchos simmer, heat a medium soup pot with vegetable oil over high heat. Add the corn and saute until charred at the edges, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the heat a little, add the onions, jalapeno, red chile pepper and garlic. Season with cumin, smoked paprika and cinnamon. Saute for 5 minutes, then stir in the tomatoes. Puree the anchos and the stock in a food processor, then add it to the soup pot. Stir in the honey and the shredded chicken and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Thin the soup with 1 or 2 cups of water and simmer over low heat to combine flavors, about 5 minutes.
  • Zest and juice 1 lime and add to the soup pot. Seed and dice the avocados and add to a small bowl. Dress with the juice of the remaining lime.
  • Pile some crispy tortilla strips into each soup bowl. Top with diced avocado and ladle the soup over the avocado. Garnish with sour cream and whole or chopped cilantro leaves.
  • Note: I used extra chicken broth instead of water and did not put the cinnamon in. You may also choose to bake chicken breasts and shred these instead of using a rotisserie chicken.
  • Recipe courtesy of: Rachael Ray