We adore Mexican food, not the fast food kind, but a genuine ma and pa Mexican restaurant. Sadly we have few and far between in Toronto but there are a couple of good ones. The one I love for lunch is Cucina Lucerno down by Maple Leaf Gardens and why I love it for lunch is that they make a TO DIE FOR Sopa Azteca. Full bodied, flavourful and filling, the three F’s! When I saw the link to slow cooker chicken tortilla soup on Barb’s blog (Profiteroles and Ponytails) in her weeknight survival techniques post, I was immediately drawn to it. The sound of the ingredient combo, just made me think of Sopa Azteca (cue mouth watering), which according to Rick Bayless is one and the same! Go figure!
As Yorkesgirl recommends, I BBQ’d a couple of chicken breasts with a flavourful dry rub*, and then I shredded them and ‘finished’ them off in the slow cooker for about 20 minutes. The soup is divine and is so darn easy. You can even drop the chicken breasts directly into the slow cooker and just let it cook for hours and hours, the chicken is best shredded so over cooking is not a problem!
Sopa de Tortilla
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
- 2 small chicken breast, BBQ’d* with dry rub (see notes below)
- 1 can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed, low sodium
- 300g enchilada sauce (I wouldn’t bother putting this in next time).
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced finely
- 1 fresh green jalopeño, minced finely
- 4 cups water
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp chopped cilantro leaves
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- 1 tsp lime juice
Directions:
- Place everything but the chicken into the slow cooker on high, stir. Cook for 2-3 hours and then add the frozen corn and cook five minutes and then add the shredded BBQ’d chicken* and cook for 20 minutes until thoroughly heated through.
Or, sauté onions and garlic in a soup pot, add the jalopeño, spices, cocoa and cilantro and stir until you smell the spices. Add the canned tomatoes, enchilada, water and simmer for 20-40 minutes (longer you simmer the better the flavours). - Serve with a dollop of low fat Greek yogurt, a sprinkling of cheese of your choice (I had cheddar), some green onions and of course some oven dried tortilla strips. Enjoy.
*BBQ Chicken Rub
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp unsweetened chocolate
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp granulated garlic (not garlic salt)
- 1 tsp ground dehydrated onion flakes
Directions:
- Mix the spices together in a small bowl.
- Remove skin from the chicken breasts and cover with the dry rub. Grill or pan fry finishing in the oven on medium heat until chicken juices run clear (around 165° F).
- Tent and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Using a couple of forks, shred the chicken into bite-sized bits.
I’ve had this soup a couple of times now and still have a serving in the freezer which I’m saving for a particularly ugly day when I need some soup to cheer me up.
[…] forgot to record my recipe which worked out to be a hybrid of Rick Bayless’s Sopa Azetca and a recipe that my good friend Barb of Profiteroles and Ponytails posted about some time […]
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[…] by Art Studio, all on my iPhone! I used a hybrid of Rick Bayless’s Sopa Azteca and the one I previously […]
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Hi, Eva. Very interesting recipe. I, too, would disregard the enchilada sauce. It probably doesn’t need it and if it does, a chile sauce/paste is so simple to do yourself and you can control the flavors. The addition of the chocolate makes this more mole-like. I absolutely love your soup bowl!
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Thank you for your comment, Richard, I’ve made a chili sauce, I should have used it instead! Brilliant idea, thank you.
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B and I love Mexican food as well (not to fast food type)! A few years ago, we came across a restaurant in Toronto called Banditos (I think it was on Queen Street, it was near the theatre). It was amazing! Everything was made fresh to order and the spiciness was adjusted to your liking.
Your tortilla soup looks amazing! Did you use red or green enchilada sauce for your soup?
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Thanks Amber, I used red, and perhaps there lies the problem. I hadn’t realized there were two types as I sent my husband to pick up the ingredients. I’ll have to check it out next time.
I’ll check out that restaurant too, always room for another good Mexican Ma and Pa joint.
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Oh thank goodness – I saw a recipe once which involved crushed tortilla chips which they strained water through to make some sort of tortilla chip “broth”… words can’t begin to say how pleased I am that this isn’t “that” 😀
The soup looks really lovely Eva – I love those tortilla sticks. Love those bowls too… how cool are those? 😀
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Thanks so much Charles, I would have been super skeptical at that recipe too, tortilla broth? Just weird. This soup is extremely satisfying on so many levels. It will be made again and again!
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The kids and I should make this for Mike. Whenever the kids are playing restaurant or kitchen (with their toys) this is what Mike always orders from them. Sounds good and soothing too.
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It’s quite delicious! You could also sub out the chicken with shrimp to jazz it up!
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No Taco Bell in Australia (thankfully) but there are a few not very authentic Mexican restaurants so whatever we have must be made at home. I’ve tried a tortilla soup before but it didn’t look as good as yours. I’m definitely making this one.
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Thank you kindly Maureen, I had it for lunch again and it was do tasty and flavourful; definitely making it again!
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What a beautiful soup, Eva! So perfect for this cold weather! I love that you added chocolate to it. It gives the soup more flavor and also a deep color .
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Hi Asmita, thank you so much, the chocolate did make the flavour richer and the color was just wonderful.
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Eva, I don’t know much about Mexican food (there aren’ many Mexicans living here I suppose so the restaurants are rare and apparently fake) and my Mexican friend told me that even the chili con carne and chicken fajitas (the only “Mexican” dishes I prepare) are not Mexican, but what she would call Tex-Mex… Anyway, I’m always happy to learn more about this exotic cuisine and especially when the dishes sound as fabulous as yours.
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I really enjoy the flavours of Mexican cuisine Sissi; the spices they use are truly enjoyable. Of course, I’m not really into deep fried foods so my preferences are their ceviches, salads and soups.
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I know this is going to sound silly but I’ve never tried tortilla soup before! Yours looks lovely and thick and full of flavour 😀
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I hope you have a chance to try this soup Lorraine , I think you would like the robust and fresh flavours.
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Hey Eva,
Thanks for the shout out. I find it interesting that you would skip the enchillada sauce. I found that it added a depth of flavour that was worthwhile, that would have been missing without it so I would definitely use it next time. However, I didn’t add any chilis because of the ponytails, so that could be the difference. The chocolate is a nice touch — especially in the rub. I didn’t use a rub because I cooked the chicken in the crock pot at the same time — it was easier this way. (I used boneless, skinless thighs.) I literally made it in about 10 minutes in the morning before I went to work. I can’t wait to make it again…and to try your rub recipe *(although I won’t use it for the soup since I need to go the easy route and throw everything in at once.)
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Thanks Barb, I get that. Maybe we just bought the wrong brand of enchilada sauce, let me know what brand you buy and we will try it!
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I replaced the enchilada sauce with real chiles … an ancho and a guajillo and I think they added a lot of flavour to the soup that wasn’t there in the sauce. And the tostadas broke down enough to thicken the soup.
Not quite so pretty as yours but it was tasty. The next batch will be better. 🙂 Forgot the corn though.
http://a-boleyn.livejournal.com/116753.html
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I’m so flattered Maria, thanks for the tips I’ll check it out! Glad you enjoyed it.
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Perfect for a chilly fall dinner! I love tortilla soup need to put it on my dinner menu soon (it may be a good balance for the butter laden stuffing I make!).
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Thanks Liz, it’s a healthy filling soup, for sure! 🙂
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Great presentation of one of my favorite soups Eva!
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Thanks Jed. It’s a great fall soup with the cold chill in the air and the occasional snow flake.
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I don’t think I’ve ever been to an authentic Mexican restaurant, sadly. I’ll have to try this one, but do you still do the rub if you’re just popping the chicken right into the slow cooker and skipping the grilled part?
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Hi Barbara, next time you’re in Toronto, you should definitely go to the one’s I reviewed, so good. As I mentioned to John I would not put the rub on the chicken if I skipped the grilling part, as the original recipe did not have a rub, so I suspect the flavours would be fine without it. I just love the texture of BBQ’d chicken.
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There’s nothing like a good bowl of tortilla soup on a blustery day. There was a Mom & Pop Mexican restaurant around the corner from my last home. They got me hooked on this soup and it was a sorry day when a rent increase forced them out of that building. I’ve never attempted to make it for myself but you’ve got me thinking of giving it a shot. Not only that but the barbecue rub sounds delicious and I may try it on chicken without making soup.
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Thanks John, it’s not a difficult soup to make and it’s so very tasty. From what I’ve read on your blog, I think this flavour profile would be right with your tastes. I would not add the rub on the chicken if I were to drop it directly in the soup, but I would probably bump up the spices a touch. I really love the texture of BBQ’d chicken, so it’s unlikely I would do it that way, but you never know — at which time, I will surely blog about it.
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Perfect soup for today’s cloudy, windy and cold weather. Snow is coming this afternoon and into tomorrow. Snow is not a good thing at this time since there are still lots of leaves on the trees, preparing for outage. This on top of Sandy.
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I heard about this storm, Norma, I wish you all the best. We have finally seen some sunshine but I’m not sure how long it’s going to last. It is disturbing when the snow falls before all the leaves are off the trees, but I have to admit, the first snow fall is always so exciting…then not so much.
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I’m so glad you liked it! It really is such a simple soup to make, and quite filling and could easily be a meal by itself! Perfect for the cool weather you are now having, no doubt.
It is really hard to find a good Mexican restaurant, isn’t it! We have the same problem here, but there are a couple of new ones that have opened recently that do decent Mexican.
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Thanks Ali, I am having it again today for lunch so I’m quite excited about it. I will put it on my list of meals to make in the future, so yummy!
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What a yummy looking soup and so perfect for your cold, grey weather. I’m surprised there is a bit of chocolate in it! I don’t think I’ve ever had soup with chocolate! xx
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I added the chocolate because of two things, Charlie, one because JT adores a mole sauce and because I’ve seen other recipes add chocolate into chili’s, gravies and such to make it richer and add a depth of flavour. You actually don’t taste chocolate at all, but it does add depth.
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Truly you have got me in quite the Mexican mood my friend it has been much too long since I have eaten something as awesome as this 🙂
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
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Mexican is something I crave because of the combination of spices and heat — perfect for this time of year on our side of the planet CCU!
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This is the soup I have always wanted to make!
What would you add instead if you leave out enchilada sauce?
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The sauce I bought tasted like food colouring and starch and if I am not mistaken it was even labelled hot, so I don’t think you need to replace it with anything. The rest of the ingredients play well into each other and make the soup very flavourful.
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I’ve seen and been tempted by tortilla soup for some time and your post just gives me more incentive to give this a try. I noted your deciding to leave out the enchilada sauce in the future. Was it too bland? The rest of the ingredients sound like they added some flavour to the soup.
I actually bought a can of the stuff a while back to make enchiladas and was greatly disappointed in the result. It contributed no flavour, just some red colour, to the dish I made. I have a couple of real Mexican cookbooks which I’m going to research for a ‘real’ enchilada sauce I can make with the dried ancho and guajillo chiles I bought a while ago.
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Hi Maria,
I did find the enchiladas sauce to be bland and if I’m not mistaken, it was labelled hot too! It looked like food colouring and starch thickener. In my opinion, it didn’t add anything to the dish. I shall also try to find a nice recipe to make my own, but to be truthful, the soup is lovely without it.
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Exactly what **I** thought when I opened up that can. 😦
I still have a container of turkey broth in my freezer but am torn between using it for a risotto or a soup base. So many recipes and so little home made broth left. 🙂
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I vote for this soup, after all it is soup season!
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You’re right. It IS soup season, isn’t it?
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🙂
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