Chicken Tortilla Soup

This past week has been especially difficult for my family and me as we suffered the loss of my grandfather. I know I speak for my family when I write that we truly appreciate all of the heartfelt support and compassion from everyone around us as go through this time. Despite this sadness, I know my grandpa would have wanted us to continue to enjoy our lives and live them to the fullest. Personally, these sentiments encourage me because I saw how much my grandfather liked and appreciated my food and upheld my passion for cooking and baking.

I had been wanting to make chicken tortilla soup for months but for several reasons I hadn't been able to find the time. Finally I researched some recipes and gauged a basic understanding of the ingredients I needed. Unfortunately, most of the recipes called for specialty Mexican ingredients and I had no idea where to get them. Instead I went to the Mexican aisle of my local grocery store and stared at all of the items until I found something I thought to be suitable, canned chipotle peppers.

Once I started to make the soup, I decided to combine the canned peppers with a can of plum tomatoes in the food processor and then add it as part of the liquid component of the soup. Although the peppers were spicy, I thought that the large can of plum tomatoes would "outweigh" the spiciness of the peppers....I was wrong, really, really wrong. I tried a little bit and my mouth was on fire. Apparently I had inadvertently created a spicy salsa rather than a nice, tomato based sauce. Luckily I had another can of tomatoes and added those to the soup with a couple of spoonfuls of my salsa mixture.

In the end, I was extremely pleased with the result. My soup actually tasted like an authentic Mexican-style soup and everyone in the family loved it. I served it alongside some avocado slices, corn tortilla chips, and sour cream. I also served the salsa which allowed each person the option of making their portion a little spicier if they wanted. My brother especially liked the salsa and saved the rest in a container now sitting in our fridge.

Chicken Tortilla Soup
Note: I left the chipotle peppers out of this recipe because of the spice factor. Instead, I think one or two small diced jalapeno peppers would provide enough spice and authentic Mexican flavor without going overboard.

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4-5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 bell peppers, chopped (I used one green and one yellow)
• 1-2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
• 1 28 oz. can plum or diced tomatoes
• 1 12 oz. can corn kernels
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 3 cooked chicken breasts, shredded
• Corn tortilla chips
• 6 cups (2 L) chicken stock
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large pot, heat some olive oil over high heat then add the onion, garlic, and bell peppers. Reduce the heat to medium and saute the vegetables for 5-7 minutes or until they become soft.
2. Stir in the cumin and chili powder to the vegetables and continue to cook for another minute.
3. Add the chicken stock and tomatoes, with all their juices, along with the diced jalapeno peppers and mix thoroughly. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce the heat and continue to simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Add the shredded chicken and a handful of tortilla chips and stir well to incorporate. Continue to simmer for 15-20 minutes. stirring occasionally to help breakdown the tortilla chips. 
5. In the last 5 minutes, add the canned corn kernels to the soup and season with salt and pepper. Serve alongside garnishes such as avocado, cilantro, sour cream, and tortilla chips.