Renee's best chicken tortilla soup in the whole world, recipe
- Renee Diaz
- Feb 12, 2020
- 5 min read
This weekend we hosted an open IF: Local event at our church. If you have no idea what it is, I describe it as a TED talk about Jesus, for women. It has 3 sessions, beginning on Friday evening, and then starting up again on Saturday morning. Then after a 2 hour break for lunch, the final session. In the past it was a small get together for whomever could make it with some snacks and light refreshments supplied by the host. Maybe there was some ordering of food and some dessert snacks but it was pretty low key and only a small group of ladies ever went. Last year we opened our church and did a little personal inviting but it only amassed a larger handful of attendees and we went out for lunch. This year, by opening it up to the public, we were able to welcome almost 30 women! Logistically, we needed to figure out a lunch plan that worked for the budget we had and didn't require people having to leave and get back with only a 2 hour window allotted. It would've worked but it would be better for mingling if we could just stay at church. So, with that we needed a new plan for food. Enter: Renee's best chicken tortilla soup in the whole world, recipe.
I'll preface this by saying I was not originally on the food team. I was working on finding cheap succulents for terrariums and some journal stuff but I was only trying to be in the background, as a quiet creative. The Lord... He had other plans. I suppose my soup is that good that he believed I should share it with the masses. Okay, before I'm vaporized by the Lord for the pride I have for this soup, let me just say, I was really happy to make it. It is my favorite soup. It will become your favorite soup. It has been a recipe that only one other person has and I've made it for about 10 years and kept the secret close. It's spicy, salty and full of vegetables. You can add cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream or just leave it clean with lime. I've been reluctant to share this recipe in the past because it's my recipe. It's taken years to cultivate and make to my exact taste. I've considered going to market with it. It's that good. But, it should be shared and I don't want to do the work to go to market, at least not in this season. However, I do want people to enjoy it and make it for loved ones. So, here we are.
This version is to make a small batch of Chicken Tortilla Soup. It will still yield quite a bit though. It's not really a small batch at all. It's more like 15 lbs of food. You can feed a small family with it and have leftovers for a week.
Here she is: Renee's best chicken tortilla soup in the whole world, recipe
2 lbs of boneless chicken breast
1 - 2 diced Yukon potatoes
2 cups of frozen mixed vegetables
3 cups of frozen Normandy blend veggies
1 can of sweet yellow corn
1 can of black beans
1 tablespoon of salt (I use pink Himalayan sea salt, you'll need to adjust with less if you use a different kind)
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
2 teaspoons chile de arbol powder
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons guajillo chile powder
2 teaspoons ancho chile powder
1 16 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 16 oz. can of tomato sauce
1 small can of tomato paste
1 frozen block of spinach
This soup needs to be seasoned well and I'm a huge fan of salt. I do not recommend adding more salt than the TABLESPOON in the recipe but you can do half and go from there if you hate flavor. Also, since this is a spicy version, you can take away some of the heat by doing just a pinch of Arbol, Cayenne, Guakillo and Ancho. These are also found in the Spanish section of your grocery store in small bags or as whole dried peppers. I don't have it in me to go through the re-hydrating process but I'd estimate it would look like 1 pepper each re-hydrated and blended. Honestly, it will probably yield better flavor but this is the way I make it and I'm happy with the results.
Step 1
Poach chicken (please add some salt at this step) until completely cooked. This chicken should be falling apart. I'm impatient so I use my Instant Pot most of the time and prep my chicken early in the morning or a day before. If it's not falling apart then you'll need to shred it manually or continue cooking until it is. I usually make sure it's falling apart and I can just use a pair of tongs to break it up inside the pot while it's still on. At this point you should have a good amount of chicken broth full of chicken flavor. If you find you need to add more liquid, using a few cups of water is fine but you'll need to adjust your seasoning. If you have some left over broth from the freezer or some from the store, that's good too.
Step 2
Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot. That's all spices, all veggies, all cans. Cook all ingredients through. This part should take you about an hour if your chicken is piping hot and shredded with enough liquid left over. For the frozen veggies, I usually will try to thaw them before adding them to the pot. It just speeds cooking. And the potatoes can be added raw or cooked, it's really up to you. Dicing them into smaller pieces, cooks them quicker. The brick of spinach always slows me down. I have also used 1 handful of fresh spinach in the past. It all just adds some heartiness to the soup. I use canned bean to make this go quicker for you buy I like to have black beans on hand whenever possible. I use my Instant Pot for beans and meat at different times, it helps me cut some corners and I free leftovers. This soup is a staple for me because I usually have these items all on hand. Very rarely do I have to run out and buy something to complete the recipe.
Step 3
Take a small amount on a spoon, blow on it and taste. It should be spicy and well salted. If it needs more salt, add it a teaspoon at a time. Also, if you feel like your soup need more broth or water, just add it and add a pinch more of the seasonings. I try to make it soupy but sometimes (most times) I'm not paying attention and it simmers down so much that I inevitably need to add more liquid. I also add liquid when I defrost my lunch portions.
Step 4
Serve it up the way you like. I use crushed tortilla chips and some shredded aged white cheddar cheese that I have on hand. If I have avocado around I'll use that too and it'll look beautiful. If not, then I just eat it as is. It's still amazing either way.
This is my recipe. I hope you enjoy it. I'm insecure and you may hate it... but probably not. It will probably be the best soup you've ever had in your life. You're welcome.
Renee
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