Sopa Tortilla

I want to share with you today, an absolute favorite soup, one that i was introduced to at a restaurant called Don Pablos, many [MANY] years ago.   I grew up going there for birthdays and fun family dinners out, i even ended up working there for a brief time as a hostess in college, which i didn't mind because i was then given unlimited access to that soup that i loved so much and i never got sick of it. Sadly, the restaurant went out of business and the building isn't even there anymore, but i still have wonderful memories of that chicken tortilla soup. it was the best. savory and textured broth, swimming with juicy chicken, and topped with the freshest scoop of pico de gallo, giving it that over the top taste. It then was garnished with crunchy fried tortilla strips that would soak in the broth and give added texture and flavor
to the soup. 

i have since then, worked on recreating that soup. It sounds simple, but i didn't even know how to cook back then, or what flavors i was eating, so i would order tortilla soup at other various restaurants, hoping to recognize the flavors and tastes and identify the ingredients. the soups were great, and i did learn that one of the primary ingredients that gave that soup its signature taste was a fresh herb called cilantro or coriander leaves.  i have come a long way now knowing what cilantro is and using it in a high percentage of my cooking, but what were the other flavors? I wasn't quite hitting it with all the other taste tests. 

It is now the year 2015, and i have made chicken tortilla soup many times, testing and trying different things, and i can tell i am getting closer but not quite there. 

Finally, two days ago, I have come the closest yet to that delicious authentic flavor i was searching for! A few more tweaks and unexpected ingredients that i thought might aide in creating this soup and i think i finally might have mastered it! 

I will share my little discoveries here. 

One of the things i learned is starting with your own homemade chicken stock. I was using store bough
t chicken broth which isn't bad at all, but there was just a depth of flavor that can not be missed in creating your own soup base and using that foundation to build this soup. 

I boiled my chicken thighs, 2-3 large carrots, and 1-2 onions in a water and that creates a very simple, yet flavorful broth.  Chicken tortilla soup is actually bare bones really, not a ton of ingredients and add ins really, the stock itself really is a shining part. 

I guess i should jut tell you how to make it and explain it along the way. sorry. I am just so excited that this taste has finally been found! I was looking for it forever, and now I've found it!

you'll need:
2-3 large boneless chicken breasts or thighs [i find thighs to be a bit more juicy and hold moisture and flavor a bit better, but both work well]
2-3 large carrots, peeled
1 large white onion cut in quarters
2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled

1 cup of cornmeal/corn flour/corn masa-this is what i found to be one of the missing components! It gives the soup that gritty texture, thickens the soup a bit, but still keeps it rather brothy
1 cup of water

2 tablespoons of chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 red chili pepper, deseeded and finely chopped[include some seeds if you like heat. i do]

for pico de gallo:
2 large tomatoes
1 large purple onion
1 large bunch of cilantro, stems removed
salt to taste
1 red chili, finely chopped
squeeze of fresh lime

for chili tortilla strips:
3 white flour/or corn tortillas cut into long strips then cut in half
1 teaspoon chili powder 

A lot to cover, but i promise it will all come together pretty straight forward. 

To start, boil chicken, carrots, onions, and garlic in about 2-3 cups of water, making sure every thing is covered. 

Meanwhile, while stock is being made, heat a bit of oil in a large frying pan and toss cut tortillas in the pan. season with salt and add chili powder. stir frequently and make sure strips are coated and crisping up rather nicely. drain and set aside on paper towel. 

After chicken is about done, remove from pot and shred.  Put back in pot. Do same with carrots and onions, just chopping them down a bit into bite size pieces. Add chopped chili pepper. 
Keep pot on medium heat. 

In a separate bowl, mix corn meal with water and stir to create a mixture. Pour into soup pot. 
Stir. Add chili powder, cumin, and coriander. 

season with salt and whatever spices you would like to tweak. I like my soup pretty spicy, so i add extra chili powder. 

Now at this point, taste and test and if you want to add chicken stock [store bought] to adjust how brothy you want it. add salt also if you need to. [i like my soup quite savory]

to serve:

ladle soup in a shallow bowl. top with a scoop of fresh pico, and tortilla strips. 

eat immediately.