Put that homemade chicken broth to good use – try my version of Sopa Azteca (Chicken Tortilla Soup)! Full of flavor and spice, it’ll keep you warm on those cold winter nights.
#sopaazteca #chickentortillasoup #soupforthesoul
Sopa Azteca (Chicken tortilla soup)
3 chicken breasts cut into cubes
4 garlic cloves
4 chiles (I used 2 serranos and 2 hatch green chiles)
2 jalapenos
2 dried chiles de arbol (or 1/2 Tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes)
1 ½ teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt
6 medium tomatoes
6 medium tomatillos
2 quarts chicken broth (I made my own – recipe here)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 avocado, sliced in half, and cut into ½ inch cubes
6 ounces shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
3 cups roughly broken tortilla chips
1 lime, cut into quarters
½ cup Mexican crema or sour cream
Roast the tomatoes, tomatillos, 2 garlic cloves, and chiles. The fastest method is on the grill – otherwise cut the tomatoes, tomatillos and peppers in half place them on a foil-lined baking dish. Place under the broiler on high until the skins are charred. Remove from oven and let cool.
While the tomatoes and chiles are cooling, heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add 2 garlic cloves and cook until golden, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and place in the bowl of a food processor.
Once cooled, seed the chiles and remove the stems and chop the top core off of the tomatoes. Add the tomatoes, tomatillos, chiles and roasted garlic to the food processor bowl.
Add cumin and process another few seconds. Turn the heat back on the pan and add the tomato-chile-garlic mix to the pan. Cook over medium heat until the sauce thickens to a paste. Add broth. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Add chicken and allow to cook for 7 more minutes. Turn off heat. Add salt to taste.
Place avocado cubes, cheese, tortilla chips, limes, and sour cream in serving dishes.
Ladle soup into bowls. Top each soup with cheese, crushed tortilla chips, avocado, and sour cream, with a slice of lime on the side.
Serves 6-8.