Barefoot Bloggers: Mexican Chicken Soup

It is the 27th when this blog entry comes out but I actually made this one a few weeks ago.  I think most of the Barefoot Bloggers, at least the ones in the US, are probably going to be pretty busy on the 27th - I know I am.

While there are things I will use a canned or boxed broth with - or even some concentrate, soup is not one of those things.  I always try to keep some homemade broth in the freezer for cooking but it appears I just ran out.  That means I ended up starting this meal a few days early making some more chicken broth.  I won't bore you with that recipe - I made a pretty simple one with chicken parts and onions as the only main ingredients.  

I made about twice as much as I needed for the soup so I could freeze some.  I normally just freeze it in Ziploc bags but I had seen a hint somewhere that you should freeze it in ice cube trays so it is easier to get a small amount out.  This seemed like a good idea since I normally have to thaw out a whole bunch to get 1/2 cup of broth.  We just moved into a new house a few years ago and apparently my wife decided to de-clutter by getting rid of the ice trays - we didn't need them now that we had a new fridge with an ice maker.  After searching around a while she did manage to find something more me to use - check out the end result:

It works - there are two hearts in a quarter cup.

The soup was pretty good.  I did leave out a few things.  I left out the avocado - I knew my wife wouldn't eat it and I wasn't sure it would really add that much to the soup.  I also left out the jalapenos - I know that is probably a big thing to leave out of a Mexican soup but my wife does not like peppers at all - I just spiced my bowl up with some sriracha before I ate it.  I also used some fire roasted tomatoes which I think add a little flavor.  

The soup ended up being a pretty good chicken soup.  I was just coming down with a cold so it was just the right time for some homemade soup.  The one thing I would change is the tortillas.  I know they are there because it is a "Mexican" chicken soup but I think they end up being like a soggy noodle.  They didn't taste bad but the texture was not good at all in my opinion.  I think next time I will just forget it is Mexican and use egg noodles instead of the tortillas.

Thanks to Judy from Judy's Gross Eats (Not sure about the name - they don't seem gross) for this months recipe.

Mexican Chicken Soup

(Source: Barefoot Contessa at Home, page 34)

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:

• 4 split (2 whole) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
  
• Good olive oil
  
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black 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 1/2 quarts chicken stock, preferably homemade
  
• 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes in puree, crushed
  
• 2 to 4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
  
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
  
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, optional
  
• 6 (6-inch) fresh white corn tortillas
  
• For serving: sliced avocado, sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, and tortilla chips
  

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place the chicken breasts skin side up on a sheet pan. Rub with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until done. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones, and shred the meat. Cover and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or 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, jalapenos, cumin, coriander, 1 tablespoon salt (depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock), 1 teaspoon pepper, and the cilantro, if using. Cut the tortillas in 1/2, then cut them crosswise into 1/2-inch strips and add to the soup. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and season to taste. Serve the soup hot topped with sliced avocado, a dollop of sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, and broken tortilla chips.