In writing this blog, there were some recipes that I “saved” so that I didn’t post ALL of my favorites all at once. I wanted to space them out, and get to enjoy the really special ones over a period of time. Well, this is one of those favorites that has been waiting patiently for its big chance.

This is by far my favorite Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe! I have no idea where I found it, but I have been making it for years, and we love it every time. To give you an idea of how much we like this recipe, my sister has specially requested it for her “Birthday dinner” in the past. Usually tortilla soup ends up being very thin, but this recipe makes a thick, stew-like meal that is incredibly still easy on the waistline.

If you have never bought shoepeg corn, it is really not all that hard to find. Most groceries have it either in cans, or maybe in the frozen vegetable section. Shoepeg is a white corn, and I would not use regular yellow corn as a replacement. It really does taste different. I would also recommend using fresh cilantro. As is the case with most “Mexican-esque” types of recipes, the cilantro and cumin provide the key flavors, and using fresh cilantro makes it even better.

If you are a soup fan, or ever order chicken tortilla soup in restaurants, you will want to do yourself a favor and give this recipe a try!

Recipe

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INGREDIENTS

• 1 can (16 oz.) diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 1 can (10.5 oz.) tomato soup
• 1 large can shoepeg (white) corn with juice
• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 small fresh jalapeno pepper, chopped, seeds removed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp. veetable oil
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 Tbsp. cilantro
• 1 pkg. (12 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese
• flour tortillas

METHOD

1. Boil the chicken until tender, reserving about 20 oz. of broth for later use. Chop chicken into bite sized pieces.

2. Saute onions, jalapeno pepper, and garlic in vegetable oil. Add tomatoes, chicken broth (reserved from step one), tomato soup, water, seasonings, and chicken. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for one hour.

3. Add shoepeg corn and simmer an additional 15 minutes.

4. When serving, cut flour tortillas into thin strips, and mix into soup along with the cheddar cheese.

Note: You can add the tortilla strips and cheese to the entire pot of soup, but I found that the cheese just gets a little stringy and makes a mess. I prefer to add them to each bowl individually.

I have had this recipe for years, and do not know the original source.