Tortilla Soup

Also known as Floating Tacos! My nearly-eight-year-old came up with that, clever kid.

This soup is a make-ahead heavy lifter. You can multiply the batches and freeze shredded chicken portions in broth for future meals. It also travels well – just pack the cooked, shredded chicken in the poaching liquid and bring a carton of broth, large can tomatoes, 2 cans beans, and canned or frozen corn, to assemble, heat and serve when you arrive. Don’t forget the toppings!

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 large or 2 small jalapenos, minced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• Salt and pepper
• 1 large or 2 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (3/4 to 1 lb)
• 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 15 oz can pinto beans, with liquid
• 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1.5 cups corn, canned or frozen
• 4 cups chicken broth
• Juice of 1 lime

To serve:

• Tortilla chips
• Shredded cheese
• Sour cream
• Chopped cilantro

1. In large soup pot, sauté onion in olive oil. Add jalapeño and garlic and cook briefly. Stir in chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, cayenne, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper. Cook briefly until fragrant.
2. Add chicken breasts and 1 quart water or enough to cover the chicken. Remove chicken and set aside while you bring the broth to a boil. Add chicken back to pot and return to a boil. Cook 3 minutes, then cover pan and remove from heat. Let stand until chicken is cooked through, 15-18 minutes, flipping halfway through. Remove chicken from poaching liquid immediately. Slice or shred chicken when it is cooled enough to handle. Set aside.
3. When it’s time to make soup, add the tomatoes to the poaching liquid. (Optional: blend until smooth with an immersion blender.) Then stir in chicken broth, pinto beans with liquid from the can, drained black beans, and corn. Bring almost to a simmer and add the cooked shredded chicken and lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Serve with tortilla chips, shredded cheese, sour cream, and chopped cilantro.