St. Matthias Anglican Church

Mexican Chicken Soup - Feb 2012

Ingredients

4 split (2 whole) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on

Olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

2 cups chopped onions (2 onions)

1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)

2 cups chopped carrots (4 carrots)

4 large cloves garlic, chopped

2 ½ quarts of chicken stock

1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes in puree, crushed

1 cup salsa (medium)

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. ground coriander seed

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

2 jalapenos, seeded and diced. (optional)

6 (6-inch) fresh white corn tortillas

 

Directions

 

For serving: cubes of avocado, sour cream, grated Tex-Mex

Cheddar, tortilla chips, lime slices (optional)

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Place the chicken breast skin side up on a cookie sheet. Rub with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until done. When chicken is cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones, And shred the meat. Cover and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat 3Tbsps. of olive oil in a large pot or a dutch oven. Add the onions, celery, and carrots and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions start to brown.

Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Add the chicken stock, tomatoes with their puree, the salsa, jalapenos, cumin, coriander, 1 Tbs. salt, (depending on the saltiness of the stock), 1 Tsp. pepper, and the cilantro.

Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and season to taste.

Slice the tortillas into strips and bake in a 350F oven on a cookie sheet for 5 minutes.

Serve the soup hot topped with avocado, a dollop of sour cream, juice from a lime slice, grated cheese and the tortilla chips.

Hints: for a quicker recipe you may use boneless chicken breasts and store bought tortilla chips. Shredding the meat from a Supermarket whole roasted chicken works well and is faster. Enjoy!