The First Blog Repeat

If you are a regular follower of this blog (which to be perfectly honest I am not sure if anyone outside of my parents, Russ, and Jess is – hey guys!) then you’ll know that most recipes don’t get repeated in our house. It is not that we don’t find recipes that are tasty enough that we would want to have them again, but quite frankly there are just too many recipes that I want to try to take the time to repeat an old one. As with most blanket statements there are exceptions such as a few dishes that are quick and easy for a weeknight meal when I don’t want to be in the kitchen very long (such as chicken taco salads, spaghetti sauce etc.) and then there are those that we love so much that we bypass the recipes that are waiting to be tried to repeat an old one. A few weeks ago one of these showed up on the blog, the Cheddar, Chicken Chowder, however, I had not made it since I started this blog. So, tonight the first true repeat shows with its second blog entry… drum roll please… for the second time….Tortilla Soup!

Now if you think the fanfare for this Tortilla Soup is silly then you obviously have not tried it since I last blogged about it in March. Like the cookies in my last post this is for me the look no further best ever recipe for Tortilla Soup. It is simple to make with only a few ingredients, but the chopped corn tortillas that are added at the beginning and break down as you simmer the soup make this soup fantastic. The tortilla pieces add a richness and thickness to this soup that for me makes it stand above other recipes. It also has the right amount of chicken and seasonings to it. The cayenne pepper gives it some heat without making it too hot. This soup also reheats really well, so Russ and I plan to enjoy it for lunch this week. It really is the best tortilla soup I have ever had. Russ rates the soup a 10.

(I've included a few pictures from Thanksgiving at the beach.)








Here is the recipe and the link to my previous post on it:

Tortilla Soup ("Stop and Smell the Rosemary" - with a few changes I made)

6 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used a little less than 3)

8 corn tortillas, chopped

6 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 medium onion, chopped

1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can (14 oz) petite diced tomatoes, undrained

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon chili powder

3 bay leaves

6 cups chicken stock (I used reduced sodium)

1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt (start with a half and then add more only if needed)

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add tortillas, garlic, cilantro, and onion. Saute 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes. Bring to a boil and add cumin, chili powder, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Return to a boil. Reduce heat. Add salt and cayenne. Simmer 30 minutes. Remove bay leaves and stir in chicken. Reheat. Garnish with monterey jack, avocado, sour cream, and tortilla strips. (I cut some of the leftover corn tortillas into strips and bake them. I then salt them when they are done and serve them with the soup.) Serves 6 (1.5 cup servings)