The Perfect Tortilla Soup

For a while now, I have been on a quest to find the perfect Tortilla Soup. Needless to say, I tried the soup at many many restaurants here in Austin (So many, in fact, that people already knew what I was going to order when we went out to dinner. Ok, In retrospect, I might have been slightly obsessed). Anyway, some were better than others, but I still could not find The One. Disenchanted by my lack of success, I realized that perhaps the perfect tortilla soup was not out there, waiting for me in some Mexican restaurant, but rather, that it’s recipe was locked up somewhere in my brain, just waiting to be made. And that is just what I did. But I didn’t do it alone, of course. The saying goes, ”Two heads are better that one”, and in this case, that was definitely true. Miguel, my favorite co-chef :), and I taste-tested so many versions of the recipe, we probably gained 5 pounds, but in the end we found it. This recipe is as close to the fabled perfect tortilla soup of my quest as you can possibly get. And, I’ll let you in on a little secret. The secret ingredient is time. Let it simmer for as long as you can. That will make it ten times better, giving it just the right consistency and resulting in a more flavorful broth. Trust me, it will be totally worth the wait and all the stomach grumbling! Now, 5 pounds heavier and ready to order something else the next time I go out to dinner, I am happy to say, I have found The One.

The Perfect Tortilla Soup

• 2 Chicken Breasts
• 1 Large Onion, diced
• 1 Large Tomato, diced
• 4 Garlic Cloves, chopped
• 2 Packets Goya Seasoning with Cumin and Annatto
• 1 Tomato/Chicken Flavored Bouillon Cube
• Handful of Cilantro, roughly chopped
• Chili Powder, to taste
• Cayenne Pepper, to taste
• 1 Can Whole Tomatoes, drained
• 1 Can Yellow Hominy Corn, drained
• 1 Large Anaheim Chili, chopped
• 4 Corn Tortillas, cut into strips
• Avocado Slices
• Tortilla Chips
• Shredded Mexican Cheese Blend
• Lime Slices

Fill a large pot with enough water to make the desired amount of soup. Add the first 7 ingredients, along with salt and pepper. Place on high heat until boiling and then reduce to medium heat. Cover and let simmer until chicken is thoroughly cooked. The longer you leave this simmering, the more your broth will taste like chicken. Once chicken is cooked, remove it from pot and place in a bowl. Let cool. Lower heat. Broth will be used as the base for the soup.

Shred chicken and add back to the pot. Turn heat back to medium. Add chili powder and Cayenne to taste, and if needed, more salt. Make it as hot or mild as you want to. Add tomatoes, corn and Anaheim. Turn heat to high. Let boil and then reduce to low. Add tortilla strips and let simmer until the soup thickens. For at least 20 minutes.

Serve with avocado, tortilla chips, cheese, and lime. and cold Tecate!

Enjoy!