There is very little available history about tortilla soup. Some trace it to Central Mexico. Others say it originated in Mexico City where it is a favorite. Still others claim its lack of history indicates it originated in the Southwest in the 1960s. My money is on Diane Kennedy, “The Julia Child of Mexican Cuisine.” Ms. Kennedy has studied Mexican cuisine, its lore and history, extensively since she moved to Mexico from Wales in 1957. In fact, in 1981 she was awarded the Order Of The Aztec Eagle, by the Government of the Republic of Mexico for her contributions to the documentation of regional Mexican cuisine. In her book Recipes from the Regional Cooks of Mexico, Harper & Row 1978, while not getting into the history and origin of the dish, she comments that it is quite common in Central Mexico.
If you haven’t noticed before, there are so many different recipes for tortilla soup. It seems like everywhere you go there is a different recipe. Some people make chicken soup topped with sour cream, fried tortillas, diced tomatoes and diced avocados. Others claim their authentic recipe includes shredded lettuce and green chiles. Still others use ancho chiles and chipotle in adobo. Rick Bayless’ famous Topolobampo has a recipe for tortilla soup using low fat chicken broth and chile powder. Well this is my recipe for Tortilla Soup. It is a really quick, easy version and is a little more creamy based than broth based like most.
- 4 Chicken Breast boneless, skinless
- 1 Medium Onion Chopped
- 2 Stalks Celery Chopped
- 1 15 oz can Creamed Corn
- 1 15 oz can Whole Kernel Corn
- 1 10 oz can Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes
- 1 Can Campbell's Nacho Cheese Soup
- 1 Soup Can Water
- 1 Tbsp Chili Powder
- 1 Cup Cheddar Cheese Grated
- 1 Cup Monterey Jack Cheese Grated
- 3 Cups Tortilla Chips
- Chop onion and celery into fine dice.
- Chop chicken breast into bite sized pieces.
- Combine chicken breast pieces, onion, and celery into large non stick skillet with 1 tbsp oil, and stir fry until chicken pieces are done and onion and celery are wilted some.
- Transfer all of this to a soup pot. Add the next six ingredients to the pot, stir and simmer over very low heat for about 30 minutes.
- To serve, crumble tortilla chips in bowl, top with grated Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses, and pour soup over. The chips will soften to be tortilla consistency in the soup. You can add a dollop of sour cream and guacamole if you desire.