Adventures in Bulk Foods: Chicken Tortilla Soup
For today's bulk foods adventure, I headed to the spice section. Buying spices in bulk is one of the easiest ways to save, and many bulk departments carry far more than cinnamon and garlic powder.
Case in point: chicken tortilla soup mix. It's light as a feather, so even though it's sold by the pound, the amount you need for a pot of soup costs mere pennies.
My friend Sarah shared her family's favorite recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1¼ pounds)
- 3½ cups chicken broth
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (4-ounce) can whole green chiles, rinsed, seeded, and cut into thin strips
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
- 1 cup tortilla soup mix
- 1⅔ cups water, or as needed
Directions
- Poach the chicken. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, combine the chicken and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer about 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through (165°F). Remove the chicken, let it cool slightly, and shred it.
- Strain the broth. Pour the broth through a sieve lined with cheesecloth, a paper towel, or a coffee filter, and skim off the fat. Set aside.
- Sauté the aromatics. In the same pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Cook the onion, garlic, and cumin until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
- Simmer. Add the reserved broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, green chiles, tortilla soup mix, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer about 10 minutes, adding more water if it gets too thick.
- Finish. Stir in the shredded chicken and cilantro, and heat through.
Topping Ideas
Top each bowl with crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheese, sliced avocado, a dollop of sour cream, and a squeeze of lime.
This post is part of our Adventures in Bulk Foods series. Find more recipes using bulk ingredients there!
