I thought this recipe was a good starting point, but found it a little vague. Here is what I did -
I boiled the chicken in a little water with a garlic clove and salt until done. I let the chicken cool until I could handle it and I shredded the chicken by hand (PERFECT in this soup).
In the soup pot, I sauted the onion until tender, added the chicken and spices and then added the rest. A REALLY good salsa to use that won't make it too tomato-y is a small can of "Embassa" salsa. This can be found in the international isle of your grocery store. It has a more fresh tomato taste than your normal jar of salsa and it's probably a quarter of the price - $1!
I boiled the soup for about 15 minutes and I think the thing that really finished this soup and made it more of a meal - I cooked some minute rice on the side and let people add as much or as little to their soup as they liked. I also added about a 1/2 can of drained and rinsed black beans. This gave the soup a little more substance. Also - I used a LOT more chicken broth than the recipe suggested - a 48oz can of low sodium chicken broth, as well as 3/4 of a box (the resealable). I don't know if the broth would have been enough if I had followed the recipe.
This was delicious and could not have been any easier to make. My husband threw all the ingredients into the crockpot and let it cook for about 7hrs. Right before we ate it, he just took the chicken breasts out, shredded them up, and put them back in. Great flavor for such easy preparation. My recommendation is to use good chicken broth like Pacific or Imagine brand, and pepper jack cheese on top. This is a great way to use up stale tortilla chips.
Our whole family (and many friends) LOVE this recipe! I have made it many times with leftover cooked chicken or a deli roasted chicken...super easy. I use a medium spicy corn and black bean salsa, and add diced bell or poblano peppers to the saute. We then add a can of black beans and some cilantro to a double recipe. Instead of purchased chips, I use regular corn tortillas, cut them in half, then cut into narrow strips. Spray with a little cooking spray, add salt to taste and bake in the oven until crisp. They look and taste great on top of the soup.
Crockpot friendly and delicious. I quickly threw all the ingredients (including frozen chicken breast) in the crockpot (except the chips) and let it cook on low all day. A few minutes before dinner I took the chicken out and shredded it. It was perfect and SOO easy! I will definitely do this again and again. (Husband and kids loved it too!)
I made the mistake of tasting the soup BEFORE adding the tortilla chips and cheese and I added salt to the soup. The tortilla chips and cheese have plenty of salt--no addition salt is needed.
This was OK. The instructions weren't clear about the chicken. It was difficult to "mix well" the garlic and cumin with two whole breast halves. Also, it never said what to do with the chicken after it was sauteed. So after the soup simmered awhile, I took it out, sliced it, and added it back. Personally, I think sauteed chicken is not as tender as poached. Next time, I will poach the chicken in the broth and shred it before making the rest of the soup. I will also sautee the onions beforehand so they're not so crunchy. Maybe add a little less salsa, as a whole cup was a bit overpowering. Definitely replace lime juice for the lemon. I've seen restaurants that serve lime wedges with tortilla soup. It's more "Mexican tasting" to me.
Absolutely wonderful! Quick and easy. I used a can of white corn, 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro and upped the cumin but followed the rest of the recipe to the letter. While everything else was cooking, I allowed the soup to simmer (maybe one hour or more) and it reduced nicely to become a very THICK soup. I know some people said the broth was too thin. Do put the chips in the bottom of the bowl (I used large Tostito brand. So good. I also shredded the chicken as it was cooking so that it would be evenly spread throughout the soup.
Absolutely delicious! Followed the recipe with no changes. Next time I will use shredded chicken (just because I like the consistancy better than chunks of chicken) and add a can of rinsed black beans and double the recipe because it disappeared quickly! A definite keeper!**update, I made this recipe with black beans and shredded chicken....YUM!**
I highly recommend this recipe. It's very easy to make and most of the ingredients are probably in your pantry. I had no chili powder so I used cayenne pepper instead. After I cooked the chicken for a few minutes, I added the onions and sauteed it for about 2 minutes. Garnished with cheddar cheese, green onions, and a dollop of sour cream.
