Chicken Tortilla Soup (Fast and Cheap!)

MommyMakes's Note:

This is how my Mother-in-Law taught me to make tortilla soup. It's a great use of leftovers and a very quick meal for a bunch! The serranos are VERY hot and will burn skin and eyes, so use caution.

• Total Time: 29 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 19 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 1892.0 ml water (as much as desired) or 1892.0 ml chicken broth (as much as desired)
• 4 chicken bouillon cubes
• 2.46 ml garlic powder
• 6.16 ml cumin (comino)
• 283.49 g can tomato soup
• 283.49 g can diced tomatoes
• 1 onion, chopped
• 473.18 ml cooked chicken (shredded or diced)
• 5 serrano peppers, seeded and chopped, to taste or 5 jalapenos
• shredded cheese
• tortilla chips
• 1 bunch cilantro

Directions:

1. In a large stock pot add as much water or chicken broth as desired for the quantity of soup you need.
2. Add boullion, spices, soup and tomatoes (including liquid), onion, chicken, and some of the peppers (reserve some for garnish, if you have mild soup eaters do not add serranos at all, allow individuals to add them to their bowl) and some of the cilantro (reserving some for garnish).
3. Heat soup through and allow to simmer until ready to serve.
4. To serve, place desired amount of crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheese and peppers in an individual bowl. Top with hot soup. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.
5. Top additionally with avocado, corn, cooked rice, sour cream, or any other toppings you enjoy!

Reviews

[Catwoman24102]

Delicious! Very easy recipe and easily adapts to what you have in your pantry at the time. This freezes well and makes a great addition to your once a month cooking. Wonderful soup at any time of the year.

[Gingernut]

Yum yum ... and so quick and easy. I added some frozen corn while it was cooking and also a squirt of lemon juice at the end to give it some tang. Lime juice would be even better. Served with corn tortilla strips baked in the oven, cheese, cilantro, and sour cream. This will be a weeknight staple for us. Mmmmmmm.

[rilee101]

I have made this soup twice now and loved it both times. I made a few adjustments to the recipe substituting roasted cumin in place of regular cumin (just because I think it produces a better flavor), adding a half cup of corn, green bell pepper, and 2 teaspoons of taco seasoning. Also, I didn%u2019t have any cilantro on hand so I omitted it, but that didn%u2019t make a difference in the flavor department. The first time I made it I used leftover chicken. The second time I used pork. Both attempts turn out great results. I suggest warming up your tortilla chips in the oven because they come out warm and crisp which goes great with the soup. The second time I made this soup I served the chips on the side and my family liked that better. I absolutely love this recipe because its versatility and highly recommend it. Thanks for posting!