Amazing Chicken Tortilla Soup

Not-2-Sweet's Note:

This is my version of Chicken Tortilla soup. It's very similar to the soup served at Max & Erma's restaurant chain. I threw it together one day using mostly leftovers from my fridge. It was a hit.. So now every time I roast a chicken, I make this the next day.

• Total Time: 30 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• cooked chicken (leftover roasted or rotisserie)
• 1 medium onion , chopped
• 1 (10 ounce) can Rotel tomatoes & chilies
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon minced garlic
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• 1⁄8; teaspoon black pepper
• 2 inches piece Velveeta cheese , cubed
• 1 bunch cilantro , chopped
• 8 corn tortillas
• oil
• sour cream (optional)

Directions:

1. Put chicken, skin bones and all, into a pot with 2 quarts of lightly salted water, and bring to boil. Important: the skin and bones make the broth taste great. that's where the flavor is. this wont work using skinless, boneless chicken breasts.
2. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is starting to loosen from the bones and broth looks. well. like broth. (about 20 minutes).
3. Carefully, remove chicken from broth making sure to get any little bones that may be on the bottom of the pot. Set chicken aside to let cool.
4. Add onion, Rotel, cumin, garlic, chili powder, and black pepper to the pot. Add 1/2 tsp crushed pepper for medium heat, less if you like it mild, or more if you like it spicy. I use 1 teaspoons.
5. Stir, and let simmer until chicken is cool enough to handle.
6. Tear off chicken meat and place back into pot discarding skin and bones.
7. Cut off about a 2 inch section from a log of Velveeta cheese, then cut into cubes.
8. Add cheese, and cilantro to soup and stir over low heat until cheese is melted into the soup. Let simmer stirring often.
9. Stack corn tortillas and slice into thin shreds with a sharp knife. Cook tortilla shreds in a small amount of hot oil until crisp. Drain on paper towels.
10. To serve, ladle soup into individual bowls and top with a dollop of sour cream (optional) and the tortilla strips.

Reviews

[Charmie777]

I think I had way too much water to begin with. Also the 30 minute description isn't accurate with the directions of boiling and shredding the chicken. Nice flavor.

[McEvil's Wife]

This soup is GREAT I just love it. I have made it several times and is soooo easy. I used rotisserie chicken from Sams club and it was wonderful I would recommend this recipe to every one. I fried up tortillas (white corn ) to top and just loved the crunch this truley is amazing thank you Bethany Taylor.

[itskenotime]

Go light on the water, 4.5 stars