Chicken Tortilla Soup (Sopa Azteca)
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 4 Servings
A flavourful and vibrant soup made from scratch. Perfect for a warm meal on a cool day!
Ingredients
Broth
- 2 whole chicken legs (thigh and drumstick attached - some skin removed)
- 1 small onion, quartered
- 1 celery, chopped into 4 pieces
- 2 carrots, chopped into 1 inch chunks
- 1 clove of garlic, whole
- 1 bay leaf
- parsley, a small handful of leaves and/or stems
- 2 sprigs of thyme
- 8 peppercorns
- salt
Sopa Azteca
- 1 T oil
- 1/3 cup onion, diced
- 1/3 cup celery, diced
- 1/3 cup carrot, diced
- 1/3 c zucchini, diced
- 1/2 red pepper, diced
- 1/2 roma tomato, diced
- 1/2 jalapeño pepper, seeds removed, finely diced (use 1/3 jalapeno for a more mild flavour)
- 1/3 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
- 1 clove of garlic, finely diced
- 3/4 t cumin
- 3/4 t smoked paprika
- salt and pepper
- 4 cups of chicken broth and 1 cup shredded chicken (as made above)*
Garnishes
- Tortilla chips, avocado, cilantro leaves, Monterey Jack cheese, lime wedges
Instructions
Broth
- Place chicken snuggly in a pot and fill with COLD water up to about 2 inches above the chicken.
- Add 1 tsp of salt and bring to a SIMMER (do not boil!).
- Skim any fat or scum off the top and add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Simmer for 30 minutes, occasionally skimming any white bubbles, or scum, from the top.
- Add the bay leaf, parsley, thyme and peppercorns and simmer for another 10 minutes or so.
- When done, strain the broth into a bowl, reserving the chicken for the Sopa Azteca. Pull the chicken meat off of the bone and set aside.
- **This can be made and refrigerated 2 or 3 days in advance.
Sopa Azteca
- In a medium pot, sweat the vegetables in oil until softened.
- Stir in the cumin and smoked paprika and cook for a minute or two.
- Add 4 cups of the reserved chicken broth* and simmer. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if required.
- Add in chicken and simmer for a few more minutes.
- Pour into hot bowls and garnish with the toppings of your choice (tortilla chips, cheese, lime, cilantro, avocado).
Notes
- Leaving some skin on the chicken contributes to the delicious flavour, but too much can lead to a broth that is a bit too greasy. Remove some skin, but leave some on. You can always cool the broth when done and remove any excess fat with a spoon.
- When dicing the vegetables for this soup, try to cut them all the same size. I like to use a corn kernel as a guideline.
- Broth can be made 2 or 3 days in advance and refrigerated until ready for use. Broth can also be portioned out and frozen for later use.
- Don't forget you can always use store bought chicken broth and left over chicken to make this soup in a snap!
Courses Main Dish
Cuisine Mexican
Recipe by Into the Dish at https://intothedish.com/sopa-azteca-chicken-tortilla-soup/