Tortilla surprise

It's no secret that I love Mexican food. Or things that mimic Mexican food. Like the tortilla soup at Max and Erma's. Brad and I love this soup and often try to come up with ways to make it at home. Well this time I think we got a pretty darn close version. It's spicy though I warn you in advance, so it's not for the faint of taste. Give it a shot.

Zawacki Chicken Tortilla Soup
1 jar Tostito's Hot Chunky-style salsa
1 32oz container of low sodium chicken broth
~1 cup chopped up fresh corn tortillas + extra strips
1 large uncooked chicken breast (cut into small pieces)
1 can of Campbell's cheddar cheese soup
salt & pepper to taste

First things first, is to dump the salsa into a large pot. We use a stick blender to puree the salsa down further, but if you don't have this, give the salsa a whirl in the food processor before adding it to the pot. Next add the whole container of chicken broth. Once the mixture comes to a boil, add the raw chicken, and simmer for about 15 minutes (still on a medium boil).
While waiting for the chicken to cook, fry yourself up some strips of corn tortilla in canola oil to add to the top of the soup once finished. It's a somewhat laborious (and sometimes messy) extra step, but it's totally worth it. Now back to the soup. Once the chicken is mostly cooked, add the cup of finely chopped corn tortilla to the pot. This thickens the soup.

Package & chopped & fried corn tortilla's

After the chopped tortilla has been pretty well incorporated, stir in the can of cheese soup. At this point, let the soup sit on the stove and simmer for a good 1/2 hour, stirring occasionally. The longer this sits, the better the flavors meld. Taste the soup as needed and add salt and pepper.

Double, double boil and trouble

Finally, when you're ready to bowl up that soup, ladle some in, then dab a bit of sour cream and top with the fried tortilla strips. Sit down to a nice warm meal including some salad, and bask in the warmth of knowing you created a delicious restaurant knock-off all by yourself. Enjoy!

Tortilla soup and salad dinner