Chicken Tortilla Soup

Finally! My phone has refused to cooperate with me and has consistently failed at sending my pictures to my facebook, hence my prolonged absence from this blog.

Anyway, last weekend Aaron and I were homeless because we got kicked out of our temporary townhouse (it's a long story, you can ask in person) and we were graciously allowed to bum it on Erline's couch for the weekend. As a payment for their generous hospitality, we decided to cook her and her roommates an extensive meal and this time it was like I had a sous chef (because usually Aaron comes home really late and I usually cook by myself). Here is the soup creation we made. As for the rest of the meal, here are the links to the Cajun Shrimp Alfredo and the Bacon-Wrapped Scallops.

Courtesy of Rachel Ray 

Ingredients

• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 pound chicken tenders
• 1 bay leaf, fresh if available
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
• 4 slices thick, smoky center cut bacon, chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 chipotles in adobo, chopped, plus 2 tablespoons sauce
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed fire roasted tomatoes
• Salt
• 4 cups lightly crushed corn tortilla chips
• 2 cups shredded fresh smoked mozzarella or smoked sharp white Cheddar, 3/4 pound
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• Freshly chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish

Directions

Bring broth to a simmer and add chicken tenders, poach 6 to 7 minutes with a bay leaf.

While chicken poaches, heat extra-virgin olive oil in a medium soup pot or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp then remove with slotted spoon. Drain off excess fat, leaving 2 to 3 tablespoons in the pan. Add onions and garlic to the skillet and cook 5 minutes then stir in chipotles and tomatoes.

Remove chicken from stock, dice and then add to soup. Pass stock through a strainer then add to the soup.

Place a pile of crushed tortilla chips in the bottom of each soup bowl. Cover liberally with smoked cheese then ladle the hot soup down over the top. Serve with lime, raw onions and cilantro at table to finish the soup.

---

We had one major problem. First of all, Aaron couldn't find the Chipotle in Adobo for the Chicken Tortilla Soup, which sounds like a really critical ingredient. What he did instead was he bought Chipotle Salsa. I can't really say if this was a good substitute for Chipotle in Adobo since I had never used it before, but hey, the soup still turned out pretty good. Erline was so amazed with ithis soup. I was laughing to myself that every 5 minutes she had to express that sentiment, but it was definitely validating. I know I can do better, so I can't wait to make this again and taste how this is really supposed to taste.