tortilla soup

A couple of weeks ago, I was in Florida for work and took a little trip to see my aunt and uncle who live there. In addition to getting to spend time with them, an added bonus is that they are wonderful cooks who fed me quite well while I was there. When I got home, I didn't eat for almost a day, I was so full - honest!

While I was there, we had a tortilla soup that they had made that was delicious so I gave it a shot tonight. I'll post the recipe, but then tell you what I actually did since it's often not exact.

Actual recipe:

• Three 6-inch corn tortillas
• 2 tsp. ground cumin, divided
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• Kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 c. finely chopped onion
• 1/2 lb. pound red bliss or yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2 c. fresh corn kernals (or thawed frozen corn)
• 4 c. chicken broth
• 3 c. chopped or shredded rotisserie chicken
• 1 c. purchased salsa
• 1 or 2 Tbsp. lime juice 
• Chopped or fresh cilantro or basil to garnish (optional)

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange the corn torillas on a baking sheet, then mist them with cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 tsp. of cumin, the chili powder, and a pinch of salt. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the tortillas. Using a pizza cutter, cut the tortillas into thin strips. Bake them on the middle shelf of the oven until they are golden brown and crisp - about 6-8 minutes. Set aside to cool.

In a large saucepan over medium, heat the vegetable oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining 1 1/2 tsp. cumin and cook, stirring, for another minute.

Add the potatoes, corn, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and simmer 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Transfer 1 1/2 c. of the mixture (mostly solids) to a blender and carefully blend until smooth ((I did not do this)). Return mixture to saucepan. Add chicken and salsa and cook until heated through. Add salt and lime juice to taste, and water, as needed, to achieve desired consistency.

So, what did I change? 

• Well, first off, I forgot to buy tortillas - which seems like an obvious ingredient I should have purchased. If you make tortilla soup without tortillas, is it just "soup"? So, I didn't make the tortilla strips. I also didn't have tortilla chips, which would have been a fine substitute. I put an everything bagel on the side and called it a night. Sigh.
• In addition to the 1 1/2 tsp. of cumin, I added 1/2 tsp. (or so) of chili powder. 
• I used 3 medium yellow potatoes (who weighs their potatoes?), about 1.5 c. of corn, and some carrots (not in the recipe). 
• I think I only put in about 2 c. of chicken - I think that was enough for the amount the recipe makes. 
• I used medium salsa, which give it a nice little kick. If you don't like kick, use mild.
• I didn't use the blender for anything - my soup was nice and chunky, just how I like it.

That's it. I love, love, love this and will make it again!