Chicken Tortilla Soup

I recently picked up a couple of the Cook This, Not That cookbooks at the library. I have seen some of the cookbooks recipes featured on the Today Show and love that the dishes are all under 400 calories and require minimal ingredients.   I have sticky notes in about half of the cookbook because all of their recipes look so good and sound perfect for quick and healthy weeknight meals- I am thinking I should have just bought it versus checking out from the library!

The tortilla soup recipe in the cookbook really caught my eye. I had to bring out the Eddie Bauer parka yesterday so I thought this soup would be perfect for lunches this week. I am always a big fan of tortilla soup and this recipe didn't disappoint. It is incredibly basic, I have other tortilla soup recipes that are a bit more complex, but I love the simplicity of this recipe and I thought the addition of the lime juice at the end really added to the soup. Definitely take the time to bake the tortilla strips, they give the soup a nice crunch plus they make the soup look like something you'd have at a restaurant!

Chicken Tortilla Soup
** from the Cook This, Not That cookbook
print recipe

Serves 4
Prep/Cook Time: 20 minutes

1 T. oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can (14 oz) whole peeled tomatoes
1 chipotle pepper (I used 2 for more heat)
6 c. chicken broth
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 corn tortillas, cut into strips
juice of 1 lime
avocado (optional)
fresh cilantro (optional)

Preheat oven to 450. 

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic until soft and translucent and then transfer to blender. Add the broth, tomatoes with juice and chipotle pepper to the blender and puree until smooth. (I used my immersion blender which worked perfectly).

Return the soup to the pot and bring to a simmer. Season chicken with salt and pepper and drop the breasts in to the liquid. Poach the chicken in the soup until cooked all the way through, about 12 minutes. Remove the chicken and slice into thin strips. Add the chicken back into the soup.

Arrange sliced tortilla strips on a baking sheet and bake until lightly brown and crispy.

Season soup with lime juice; adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with diced avocado, fresh cilantro, and tortilla strips.