The Quest for the Best - Chicken Tortilla Soup

Brrrr! That is the only thing that I say lately. Even with the heater running inside the house I'm still cold. This Florida girl can't take it. So I've been making lots of warming dishes like this Chicken Tortilla Soup to warm up with. I had searched and searched and could not come up with a recipe that I liked or one that was close to the Chicken Tortilla Soup I remember eating at a restaurant in Florida many years ago. So I have devised (took from many) my own recipe and I was so thrilled with how it turned out. I think in my opinion Chicken Tortilla Soup should have a rich smoky depth of flavor,. Otherwise your simply making a glorified chicken soup recipe. The chili powders I used gave this soup a nice smoky flavor and is heart and belly warming on these cold and blustery days. This soup makes me a happy.

BRRRR!!!

BRRRR some more!!!

I buy a variety of different types of dried peppers at my latin market, then remove the stems and shake out all of the seeds and blend them in my spice grinder into a powder and label each of them. I much prefer this to the pre-mixed "chili powder" already bottled for our convenience.

Ingredients
1 large carrot, diced
1 large celery stalk, diced
1 small onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced (not pictured)
1 Tablespoon guajillo chile powder
1 Tablespoon arbol chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon cilantro, dried (couldn't get my hands on fresh at the time) (also not pictured)
1 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
1 cup zucchini, par boiled and diced
1 cup yellow squash, par boiled and diced
1 28 ounce can tomatoes, drained
2 quarts chicken broth
2 large chicken breasts, cooked and diced or shredded
1 lime, juiced

Toppings
tortilla strips
diced avocado
crumbled queso fresco or mild feta cheese
Mexican crema or crême fraiche
lime wedges

Directions
In a large dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat add 1 tablespoon of oil and saute the onions, carrots, and celery about 6 to 8 minutes or until just tender. Add jalapeno garlic and saute another 2 to 3 minutes. At this point add the chili powders and cook (toast) them over the heat for a minute or two. Add tomatoes and break up with wooden spoon. Then add zucchini, yellow squash, corn, and black beans. Next add the cumin, oregano, and cilantro along with the chicken broth, chicken, and lime juice. Bring up to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cover. Cook for 45 minutes to an hour.

While soup is simmering cut 4 small tortillas into strips. Heat small skillet with oil over medium to medium-high heat and fry tortilla strips until lightly golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Serve soup with desired toppings. Makes 6 - 8 servings.

I am linkinig this to:

The Virtual Soup Swap hosted by A Southern Fairytale

Tuesdays at the Table hosted by All the Small Stuff

Sundays at One Food Club hosted by Cocina Diary

Delicious Dishes hosted by It's a Blog Party

Foodie Friday hosted by Designs by Gollum

GCC Recipe Swap hosted by Grocery Cart Challenge

Friday Favorites hosted by Simply Sweet Home

Recipe Swap Sundays hosted by Remodelaholic

Potluck Sunday hosted by Mommy's Kitchen

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday hosted by Blessed with Grace
Tasty Tuesday hosted by Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
Friday Potluck hosted by EKat"s Kitchen

 Hearty Chicken Tortilla Soup

 

 

 

I hope you'll give this a try. I know you will love it as much as I did. I am dedicating this post to Heather at Girlichef in her quest to find the best Tortilla Soup recipe EVER. Ithink this is the one.

Carla and Michael

Classic Butternut Squash Soup

Soup, soup, and more soup. I warned you.
At least Michael is at work morning, noon, and night, which means that I can eat whatever I please without him wrinkling up his nose. Like I said, he's not a fan of soups, no.. not so much. Give him his favorite three, Split Pea, Chicken or Turkey Noodle (after the holidays), or his Chili and that's it. Oh, and by the way did I mention that he'll usually only indulge in one bowl of these (each) only one time. Not good at reocurring subsequent dinners for his taste. He has this "motto" about certain foods: "I'm good with this (insert the particular dish here) once a year". He feels that way about alot of foods. Just give the man a steak and tater and he's died and gone to heaven.
That's okay with me though. It just means - MORE FOR ME. I told you I keep them "stashed" in the freezer. There have always been plenty of evenings when I am dining alone while he's hard at work in his restaurant. So for me these frozen "stashes" of love are always a welcome retreat from the usually heavy, fat leaden dinners that he prefers. A nice bowl of soup and a salad and I'd call that the perfect dinner.


I'm sending this to Deb at Kahakai Kitchen for Souper Sundays

Classic Butternut Squash Soup
Adapted from Whole Foods Market


Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
2/3 cup diced carrot (about 1 (8-inch) large carrot)
1/2 cup diced celery (about 1 (11-inch) large stalk)
2/3 cup diced onion (about 1 medium onion)
4 cups cubed butternut squash (about 1 medium squash)
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
4 to 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste


Directions
Heat olive oil in a large soup pot. Add carrot, celery and onion. Cook until vegetables have begun to soften and onion turns translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add butternut squash and thyme. Stir to combine with vegetables. Stir in chicken broth and season with salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until squash is fork-tender, about 30 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree soup. Alternatively, let the soup cool slightly and carefully puree in batches in a traditional blender.
Serves 6
(For the garnish I made a parmesan frico or crisp with a few thyme sprigs melted into it.)



Thanksgiving has come and gone and now it's time to gear up for Christmas and the New Year. I spent this past week end pulling out all of our Christmas decorations and the inside of the house is just about finished. Michael just has to find the time to do the outside and we'll be finished. I love going all out at Christmastime, and I like to get it done right after Thanksgiving has passed, so that we can enjoy the ambiance of it all for a while. Stay warm and keep cooking everyone.
Carla and Michael

Pasta e Ceci-Warmth for a Cold Winter

I went outside of my comfort zone on this one and you know what? I was quite pleasantly surprised. This is one bowlful of fall/winter LOVE. Originally, I thought I wouldn't like this soup simply because it sounded like it needed to have sausage in it for it to be substantial enough, (even though it has garbanzo beans in it, which I love). I was so wrong! Warm, comforting, and fulfilling is all I can tell you. If you get snow where you are, this is a real warmer upper. For those of you unfamiliar, in Italian ceci is garbanzo.

This is all I,I,I,-ME,ME,ME as Michael is not a fan of beans, nor is he much of a soup fan. I, on the other hand am a fan of both. I have an entire shelf in our freezer in the garage dedicated to a soup stash for the winter. It is now half filled and I still have more I want to make and blog. Coming up in the near future I will be blogging my Butternut Squash and Black Bean Soups (already in there keeping my Potato Soup company). I also am wanting to make some French Onion Soup, Chicken Tortilla Soup, and some varieties of chowders (Corn Chowder is one) to stash away for these cold winter days ahead.

This really is a simple recipe. It takes no time to cook if you prep your veggies in advance. The reward is priceless. If you would like to, you could add a grilled sandwich or salad to this and call it a meal. I found it to be perfect for lunch with some good bread for dipping. Anyway you decide to serve this up, you will surely be as surprised as I was. Also, if you are a vegetarian you can certainly adapt this recipe to your own dietary needs.


Pasta e Ceci
Courtesy Giada De Laurentiis' Everyday Pasta

Ingredients
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 large sprig fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped onion (1 medium onion)
3 ounces pancetta, chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 (14.5-ounce) cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1(14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice
3/4 cup ditalini (thimble-shaped pasta)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil


Directions
Wrap the thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf in a piece of cheesecloth and secure closed with kitchen twine. Heat the olive oil and butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, pancetta, and garlic and saute until the onion is tender, about 3 minutes. Add the broth, beans, tomatoes, and herb sachet. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then decrease the heat to medium and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 10 minutes. Discard the sachet.
Transfer 1 cup of the bean mixture to a blender and reserve. Add the ditalini to the soup pot, cover and bring the liquid back to a boil. Boil gently until the pasta is tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Puree the reserved bean mixture until smooth, then stir the puree into the boiling soup. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle with some Parmesan and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil just before serving.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.(I cut the recipe in half, unsure of whether I would like it)

This could be spiced up a bit with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes if you wish. I will be trying that with my next bowl.


I am submitting this to:
I Heart Cooking Clubs Fall Favorites with Giada
Kahakai Kitchen for Souper Sunday's
Presto Pasta Night #191 hosted by Denise at Oh Taste n See originated by Ruth of Once Upon a Feast
Saturday Swap
Coolbook Sundays









 

Carla and Michael

Bennigan's Potato Soup - My Most Favorite

Can I tell you something? This is soup that will make you want to lick the bowl. Go ahead, no one's looking. I am not going to lie to you, I have. It is that good. I first fell in love with it when we lived about two blocks away from a Bennigan's Restaraunt in Clearwater, Florida. Every time we went there this was the first thing I ordered. Even before I could decide what I was going to have to drink, I knew I was going to have a bowl of this delicious soup. And ever since I found this recipe I have been making this in large batches to keep in the freezer, for when I'm having a craving (which is frequently) for it.

This last week-end I had my mom over and we made a double batch and now it is her favorite as well. It's really very simple to make. The ham base gives it that added depth that you just don't get from other potato soups.




This dish is similar to a favorite potato soup that many people (including myself) went to Bennigan’s for. This is a thick and filling potato soup that warms the soul.


Bennigan's Potato Soup
Recipe Courtesy of Copycat-recipes and CDKitchen.com


Ingredients

1 ¾ oz ham base
2 quarts chicken stock
8 oz yellow onion, diced
3 oz margarine, I prefer to use butter
2 lb potatoes, cut to bite size
1 ½ tspn black pepper
2 cups milk
3 oz flour
3 oz margarine ,butter
 
 
Directions

Combine chicken stock in sauce pan with ham base. Stir until lumps are gone. In separate stock pot: melt first margarine butter measurement; add onion and sauté until transparent. Add potato bite size pieces and pepper. Add chicken stock mix and stir until well mixed. Bring mixture to a boil.
In small pan, melt second margarine butter measure and add flour to create a roux. It should be light brown in color. When stock comes to a boil, add roux with a wire whisk. This will cause the soup to start thickening. Return to a boil. Slowly add the milk.
If the soup is too thin, make additional roux and add it to the soup. If you need to do this, be sure to cook the roux until a tan color. This will get rid of the raw flour taste. If the soup is too thick, thin it out with more milk.

Garnish with cheddar cheese, bacon, and green onions.
Makes 10 - 1 cup servings.

I really just can't say enough about how much I love this soup.You are just going to have to take my word about how good it is and at least give it a try.

I am sending this to Deb over at Kahakai Kitchen for Souper Sundays, Erin at EKat's Kitchen for Friday Potluck, Julie at Get Healthy Cheap  to  Mangoes and Chutney for Fat Camp Friday, and Angie at Cocicna Diary for Sundays at One . and to Cassidy at Remodelaholic   for Recipe Swap Sundays .

 

I am also adding a few photos of my new cooking space (pantry/prep room) in my larger and now comfortable new home. I am so loving all of this room that I have now. Ha, we're not even bumping into each other unless we want to.

Yes, we are loving all of this new found space we have. We are only renting for this first year and are considering buying it next year, as the owner is looking to sell.

Carla and Michael

Vietnamese Beef-Noodle Soup, okay Japanese/Vietnamese combo

  I have been craving a light soup/noodle bowl for a while now.  Seeing that the heat of summer has come down upon us two-fold, I didn't want a heavy, creamy soup. I saw this recipe for Vietnamese Beef-Noodle Soup with Asian Greens  in the April Cooking Light Magazine and knew I had to make it. I stuck a bookmarker in the page and then forgot all about it, until I spotted the bookmarker sticking up out of the top of the magazine the other day.

  I set out to my local Asian grocer to gather up all of the ingredients I would need. I wanted to make it with dashi, a stock that almost all clear Japanese soups are started with, containing dried kelp/seaweed and bonito flakes. Bonito flakes are most commonly smoked, dried, and shaved or flaked shipjack tuna.

  This was everything I had been craving in a light soup. I could just drink the broth straight up without even adding the beef and noodles, it was that good! First the dashi.

Combine kelp and water.

Heat to just a small simmer and remove from heat.

Add bonito flakes and let sit (off the heat) for about 5 minutes.

Strain and use immediately or store for future use.

Assemble ingredients for the stock.

Make your stock according to directions.

Assemble and chop greens for the soup.

Simmer greens in stock.

Then assemble the soup.

Dashi

Ingredients
1 4 by 6 inch piece of dried kelp (kombu)
1/2 to 1 cup dried bonito flakes (katsuobushi)
2 quarts of water

Directions
Combine the kelp and the water in a medium saucepan and heat over medium. Do not allow the mixture to boil; as soon as it is about to, turn off the heat and remove the kelp. Immediately add the bonito flakes and stir. Let this sit for about 5 minutes, then strain. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. This can be frozen for future use, however it will loose some of the flavor and aroma.
Makes 2 quarts/8 cups



Vietnamese Beef-Noodle Soup with Asian Greens
Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine April 2010


Ingredients
1 (8-ounce) sirloin steak
4 ounces uncooked wide (maifun) thin rice stick noodles
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced yellow onion
3 whole cloves
2 cardamom pods
2 garlic cloves, halved
1 (3-inch) piece peeled fresh ginger, thinly sliced
1 star anise
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
2 cups water (I used dashi)
1 tablespoon less-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons fish sauce
4 cups baby bok choy leaves
1 cup snow peas, trimmed
1 small fresh Thai chile, thinly sliced into rings (no thai chiles in town anywhere! I used 2 teaspoons sambal oelek)
2 tablespoons light miso
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
1/4 cup fresh (thai) basil leaves
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
4 lime wedges
 
Directions
Freeze beef for 10 minutes; cut across grain into 1/8-inch-thick slices.
Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain.
Place onion and next 5 ingredients (through star anise) in a large saucepan; cook over medium-high heat 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add broth and 2 cups water (dashi); bring to a boil. Strain broth mixture though a fine sieve over a bowl; discard solids. Return broth to pan. Add soy sauce, sugar, fish sauce, and sesame oil; bring to a boil. Add bok choy and snow peas; simmer 4 minutes or until peas are crisp-tender and bok choy wilts. Add miso at the last minute.
Arrange 1/2 cup noodles into each of 4 large bowls. Divide raw beef and chile slices sambal oelek evenly among bowls. Ladle about 1 2/3 cups hot soup over each serving (broth will cook beef). Top each serving with 1/4 cup bean sprouts, 1 tablespoon basil, and 1 tablespoon mint. Serve with lime wedges.
Makes 4 servings.

I am submitting this to Ivonne at Creampuffs in Venice for Magazine Mondays.

I am also submitting this to Deb at Kahakai Kitchen for Souper Sundays.

Michael and Carla

Broccoli Cheddar Soup, A Panera Bread Co. Copy Cat

  First things first. I just had to let you know that today our Jamaican Brewmaster Steak is in todays featured recipes over at PetitChef as the 'main dish' for the menu of the day! I am so excited, this is a first for us.

  OK, back to the recipe here! I first saw this recipe in my Food Network Jan/Feb 2010 magazine. Then I saw it on one of my favorite blogs, made by Kim at StirringthePot and I was doubly inspired. (I have bookmarked many of her recipes). So I knew I had to give it a try. I am sure glad I did. I took it over to my mom's for a Sunday afternoon of card games and lunch. She was glad I made it too!

So simple. This soup comes together very easily and very quickly.

Bread Bowls. The perfect vehicle for a lovely soup.

You can find the recipe here at Food Network if you don't have their magazine.

Almost Famous Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Courtesy of Food Network Magazine

Ingredients

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups half-and-half
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 7-inch sourdough bread boules (round loaves)
4 cups broccoli florets (about 1 head)
1 large carrot, diced
2 1/2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated sharp white and yellow cheddar cheese, plus more for garnish
 
 
Directions
Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes, then gradually whisk in the half-and-half until smooth. Add the chicken broth, bay leaves and nutmeg, then season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, until thickened, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the bread bowls: Using a sharp knife, cut a circle into the top of each loaf, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Remove the bread top, then hollow out the middle with a fork or your fingers, leaving a thick bread shell.

Add the broccoli and carrot to the broth mixture and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Puree the soup in batches in a blender until smooth; you'll still have flecks of carrot and broccoli. Return to the pot. (Or puree the soup in the pot with an immersion blender.)

Add the cheese to the soup and whisk over medium heat until melted. Add up to 3/4 cup water if the soup is too thick. Ladle into the bread bowls and garnish with cheese.
Serves 4

 
 

 

Michael and Carla

We are Creatures of Habit - Winter Split Pea Soup

  In my quest to make my standard winter fare (I or we, have made split pea soup almost every winter since I can't remember when-even when we were in Florida and the temperature would dip to a blustery 56 degrees, ha ha ha.), I was searching for a different recipe than the standard back of the bag recipe. I happened across this recipe for Andersen's Famous Split Pea Soup . I then found their website here: Andersen's Pea Soup Restaurant ,opened in 1924. Yes folks, that is 86 years. Read on to find out more about the history of this well known restaurant.

  The recipe was very similar to what I normally make. It is just put together a bit differently. The vegetables are added last, not during the long simmer. Simple ingredients for a very satisfying soup.

Sort and Soak

Simple ingredients

Simmer chicken stock, peas and ham. Skimming top frequently.

Saute and add the vegetables

Voila!

I decided to par cook the veggies by giving them a quick saute to get them started, as I was afraid they would be too crispy - crunchy just putting them into the soup raw. I added ham hocks to this recipe as I have never had split pea soup with out them. I also had a bit of leftover ham from Christmas in the freezer and threw that in as well. (Mom cooked it so she got to keep the bone. She used it for Navy Bean and Ham Soup, a favorite of hers.) Topped with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and some croutons for me and for Michael just a side of buttered bread for dipping, it was warming and fulfilling on a cold rainy day.

Ingredients:


2 cups cold water
4 cups of chicken (or vegetable) stock
1 pound dried split peas (about 2-1/4 cups) picked over and rinsed as sometimes there are tiny rocks in with the peas
1 large stalk of celery, diced
1 Bay leaf
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon of sea salt, or to taste
3/8 teaspoon black pepper or to taste
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme or a few sprigs of fresh thyme
1 medium carrot, diced
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley or 2 teaspoons dried parsley
Dash of cayenne pepper or a few red pepper flakes


Instructions:

Heat water, stock and peas to boiling in a large soup pot and boil for 2 minutes
Remove from heat and let stand for about 1 hour and cover. Let sit for 1 hour.
Stir in onion, celery, bay leaf, pepper and thyme and again heat to boiling; then reduce heat
Cover and simmer until peas are tender (about 40 minutes), and stir occasionally
Stir diced carrots into soup and and heat to boiling; then reduce heat and be careful NOT to burn the soup
Cover again and simmer until carrots are tender and your soup is at th desired consistency (about 30 minutes)
Stir in the cayenne pepper, garlic powder and parsley near the end of the cooking process and correct seasonings to your taste

To reheat the pea soup, thin with a little chicken (or vegetable) stock to desired consistency and ...Enjoy Again!
Michael and Carla