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Ingredients
Soup
2 skinless, boneless chicken
breasts
10 cups water
2 onions, cut into halves
6 ribs celery, each cut into
halves
8 sprigs cilantro
4 chicken bouillon cubes
12 corn tortillas, torn into
pieces
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Garnish
crispy fried tortilla strips
(recipe follows)
shredded cheddar and Monterey
jack cheese
chopped fresh cilantro
Directions
Homemade Tortilla Strips
While the soup is cooking, slice
4-6 tortillas into 1/2-inch strips, then cut those strips
into thirds. Place a few paper towels on a plate and have
ready nearby. Heat about 1 inch of oil in a small saucepan on
high. Once the oil is hot, add the tortilla strips
and fry, gently moving around with a large slotted spoon so
they don't stick together and so the oil touches all sides
of strips.
As soon as strips turn a light
golden brown, remove from oil with slotted spoon and place
on plate with paper towels. Sprinkle
lightly with salt and serve as garnish for soup.
Soup
Place chicken breasts, onion
halves, celery halves, cilantro and bouillon cubes in a
large soup pot. Add water and bring to a boil. Cover and
reduce heat. Simmer for 1 hour.
While the soup is cooking, slice
3 or 4 tortillas into 1/2-inch strips, then cut those strips
into thirds. Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in a skillet on
medium-high. Once the oil is hot, add the tortilla strips
and fry on both sides until golden brown. Remove and place
on folded paper towels on a plate, then immediately sprinkle
with a little salt. Set aside.
After the soup has cooked for 1
hour, pour the broth through a strainer into another pot or
large heat-resistant bowl to separate broth from chicken and
vegetables. Discard onions and celery. Pour stock back into
original soup pot. Shred chicken into bite-size pieces and
set aside.
Place 2 cups of the soup stock
into a blender. Add to blender torn corn tortillas,
jalapenos and garlic and puree until completely smooth. Pour
pureed tortilla mixture back into soup pot with clear soup
stock. Stir to blend thoroughly. Add shredded chicken pieces
and gently stir again. Cover and simmer over low heat for
another 30 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring
occasionally.
Ladle soup into bowls and
garnish with crispy fried tortilla strips, shredded cheddar
and Monterey jack cheese and fresh chopped cilantro.
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