Easy Sonoran style tortilla soup from the Taste of Tucson cookbook with crushed tortilla chips and melted cheese anchored in a clear broth. Rotisserie chicken makes it ready in about 30 minutes.
Servings: 6
This Sonoran version of tortilla soup features crushed tortilla chips and melted cheese anchored in a clear broth that is seasoned with garlic, green chiles and Mexican oregano. I use shredded roasted or rotisserie chicken so that it’s ready in about 30 minutes. If you can’t find RO-TEL in your neck of the woods, you can substitute it with 1 cup diced tomatoes and 1/4 cup canned diced green chiles.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 medium white onion diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 10-ounce can RO-TEL tomatoes and chiles, hot or mild variety
- 3 cups shredded roasted or rotisserie chicken skin removed
- 4 cups chicken broth or stock
- 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon Lawry’s Seasoned Salt plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 to 3 tablespoons crumbled queso blanco queso fresco or Panela cheese per serving
- 6 to rtilla chips per serving crushed
- 1 avocado diced
- Crushed dried chiltepin chiles crushed red pepper flakes, and/or salsa
Instructions
- In a large saucepan or stockpot, heat the olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Pour in the wine and cook for 1 minute. Add the RO-TEL and the shredded chicken; cook for about 3 minutes to meld the flavors.
- Add the broth, Mexican oregano, Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, pepper, cumin and bay leaf. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium and cook, covered, for 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and season with additional seasoned salt to taste.
- To serve, put 2 to 3 tablespoons of cheese into the bottom of each wide, shallow bowl. Ladle in the soup. Let diners pile on their own crushed tortilla chips and diced avocado. Chiltepin chiles and crushed red pepper flakes will add more heat but less flavor than salsa, so offer both as options.
Notes
This recipe from my cookbook, Taste of Tucson: Sonoran Style Recipes Inspired by the Rich Culture of Southern Arizona was featured on CNN Underscored.
Hungry for More? Buy the Unofficial Elf Cookbook, The Unofficial Yellowstone Cookbook and the Taste of Tucson Cookbook!
