Roasted Green Chili and Chicken Tortilla Soup
A wonderful soup all year round.
Ingredients
For the Roasted Green Chiles:
- 3 long green chiles seeded and cut in half lengthwise
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 dashes salt
- 3 dashes ground black pepper
For the Soup:
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 Serrano chili pepper seeded and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut in small pieces
- 1 carton (32 ounces) chicken broth
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 3 dashes ground cumin
- 4 dashes ground black pepper
- 3 corn tortillas
- Roasted green chiles
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro stems (to add to the soup when cooking)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt or salt to taste
For Serving:
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves (to add to the soup just before serving)
- 1 whole avocado seeded and sliced (for the serving bowls)
- 1 whole lime quartered (for the serving bowls)
- 2 dollops sour cream optional, for garnish
- 2 sprigs cilantro for garnish
Equipment
- Blender
Instructions
For the Roasted Green Chiles:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Lay the green chiles on a small sheet pan and drizzle olive oil on top. Mix the green chiles around so that all sides are coated with olive oil. Add salt and pepper on the chiles.
- Bake in a preheated oven until the chilis start to char (about 10 minutes). Remove from the oven and set aside.
For the Soup (Make while the green chiles are roasting):
- Heat a medium size pot on medium heat and add olive oil.
- Add the onions, celery, Serrano pepper, and garlic. Stirring as they cook for 5 minutes.
- To the pot, add the pieces of chicken and stir. Continue to sauté the chicken and vegetables while stirring until the chicken is thoroughly cooked (about 8 minutes or it may take longer depending on the thickness of the chicken pieces).
- Then add the chicken broth, oregano, cumin and pepper, and stir.
- Blending the Roasted Green Chiles - The next step is to blend the roasted green chilis with some of the broth from the pot.
- When using a blender for hot liquids it’s very important to use caution; since the ingredients are hot, steam can build up and blow the lid off of the blender.Here are some tips when using a blender for hot liquids:- add the soup to the blender jar in batches that are no larger than 1/3 full- remove the center piece from the blender lid- place the lid (minus the center piece) on the blender jar- cover the lid with a clean towel folded to a size slightly larger than the lid- hold the towel over the lid while blending on the lowest speed
- In a blender, add the roasted green chiles, tortillas, and about 3 ladles of broth from the pot. Blend to incorporate all of the ingredients.
- Add the green chile mixture to the pot and stir. Add the cilantro stems (reserving the cilantro leaves to add just before serving) and stir. Add salt and stir. Give it a taste test and add more salt if needed.
- Cover the pot with a lid and turn the heat down to simmer. Let simmer for another 15 to 20 minutes.
For Serving:
- About 5 minutes before serving, add the cilantro leaves to the pot and stir.
- Serve the soup while warn with pieces of avocado and lime wedges (to be juiced in the soup just before eating).
- Garnish with sour cream (optional) and a sprig of cilantro.