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Ingredients
1 ½ teaspoons cooking oil
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
6 medium cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 pounds large red tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 ½ tablespoons oregano
1 ½ tablespoons basil
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 ½ quarts water
2 pounds chicken pieces
3 or 4 bay leaves
Sprig epazote (optional) (see note)
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 cup bell pepper cut in thin slices about an inch long
1 cup celery cut diagonally in thin slices
1 ½ cups diced zucchini
1 large carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
Salt to taste, if desired
1 medium potato, peeled, parboiled, diced and fried
15 small corn tortillas cut in strips about ¼ inch wide, deep-fried and drained
½ pound fresh spinach, washed, stems removed and shredded
1 avocado, cubed
1 pound shredded mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)
30 grams carbs; 90 milligrams cholesterol; 467 calories; 10 grams monosaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 27 grams fat; 7 grams fiber; 1275 milligrams sodium; 28 grams protein; 7 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Put oil in a large skillet. Add onions and garlic; sautee until onions are translucent and soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, oregano, basil, cumin and black pepper. Cook until tomatoes are soft, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Step 2
Blend mixture in blender until smooth. Set aside.
- Step 3
Bring the water to a boil in large pot. Add chicken, bay leaf and epazote. Skim off fat and foam. Add puree and tomato paste, and cook until chicken is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove chicken. Skin, shred and set aside.
- Step 4
Add bell pepper, celery, zucchini and carrot to broth and cook about 10 minutes, until crisp but tender. Remove vegetables from broth, so as not to overcook. Salt broth to taste.
- Step 5
To serve, place vegetables and potato in a large soup bowl. Add, in order, tortilla strips, spinach (around the top), shredded chicken, cubed avocado and cheese. Pour hot broth into soup bowl and serve. Each bowl must be prepared as described to distribute vegetables and tortillas evenly.
Epazote, an acquired taste, can usually be found at Casa Moneo, 210 West 14th Street; 212-929-1644. Call first to see if the herb is in stock.
Private Notes
Comments
This does offer a template for the ingredients in a good soup, but inexperienced cooks could be misled by the times. Whole chicken thighs can take 30-40 minutes to cook through, and even in that time, they won’t produce decent chicken broth. It’s better to start with chicken broth and take the time to slowly build flavors.
- I pre-salted / peppered and cut up a chicken breast over night -I did not use the parboilded potatoes or corn meal strips. -I used (2) cans of diced Tomatoes -lose the water, I used one box of vegetable stack and also chicken broth
This does offer a template for the ingredients in a good soup, but inexperienced cooks could be misled by the times. Whole chicken thighs can take 30-40 minutes to cook through, and even in that time, they won’t produce decent chicken broth. It’s better to start with chicken broth and take the time to slowly build flavors.
I used this as the basis for tortilla soup since I liked the seasonings. Used canned, chopped tomatoes and eliminated the potatoes. Used diced zucchini. It was quite good.