Add fish tacos with blackberry chilli lime salsa to your alternative taco repertoire. This huge hit with my family is fresh, flavoursome and off the wall.
Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
Chicken tortilla soup is a super fun fiesta in a bowl and everyone is invited. Alive with colour, flavour, protein and POW! Not everyone makes it the same way, so there’s room for variation if you want to put your own stamp on it. My signature is the addition of chorizo sausages. They are packed with sweet pork and smoky paprika and the fat is perfect for sautéing the onion, peppers and garlic. Plus, it brings a natural orange glow. You can turbo charge yours with more chilli powder, or even use fresh chillies. Mine is balanced for my family’s own taste and leans towards smoky rather than explosive. I use chicken breast and chicken stock. If you have bone broth, great! And if you prefer thighs, that’s fine too. I like canned black beans and frozen corn for maximum convenience. I’d also use kidney beans if that was all I had in the cupboard, or fresh corn if there was any in the fridge. The beauty of this soup lies in its flavour and simplicity! Don’t over think it!
Instant Pot Soup
What an invention! Just when you think soup making couldn’t be easier, boom! Enter the Instant Pot. Instant Pot, aka pressure cooker or slow cooker, means that not only is your meal cooked in one pan, but you don’t even need to stand there at the stove. It’s a time-saving, energy-saving (in more ways than one), easy-to-use miracle machine. Standing stove-side, this chicken soup recipe would take 45 minutes to cook. Compare that to Instant Pot’s 10 minutes. It’s a revelation for busy people like me. Other super convenient and cosy Instant Pot soups like cheesy potato soup or Thai chicken and rice soup are just as hassle-free. If you have an Instant Pot already, check out these chicken recipes like Chicken Stew (aka Coq au Vin), Shredded Chicken Tacos, and Whole Chicken.
Homemade Crispy Tortilla
The Mexican equivalent of the French crouton, crispy tortillas bring a pleasing crackle and snap to this lush soup recipe. I don’t know about you, but I find a crunchy tortilla irresistible. Don’t skip them! I am not keen on frying in my house and actively look for ways to avoid it. To make my crispy tortillas, I cut the soft corn tortillas into quarters, lay them on a baking tray, brush with olive oil and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. The traditional way to make them for this soup is to shallow fry in oil, but my method is so much easier and gets a similar, healthier crunch. If even that seems a stage too many for such a low-maintenance meal, you can’t judge a store-bought tortilla chip!
Serving suggestions
Once you’ve served the soup, everyone can pimp their own. I put a few little bowls out containing:
Sour cream or Greek yoghurt. A healthy dollop can dampen the chilli factor for those who can’t tolerate it. Grated cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese. If you’re a fan of cheese in your taco, why not a sprinkling on your tortilla soup? Oil-brushed and baked fresh corn or flour tortillas, or tortilla chips for some croutony-crunch. Guacamole. If you have the tortillas, it would be rude not to invite some avo to the party, right? Sliced Green Onion for a bit of heat and freshness. Cilantro (coriander UK) and lime wedges They give a vivid pop of green and a fresh zing. Hunks of fresh sourdough, especially if you skip the rice and tortillas.
Storage and leftovers
Any leftovers will keep covered in the fridge (minus the tortillas) for 2-3 days. The spices will have developed, so you might be wanting that dollop of sour cream now. This chicken soup is also a good freezer. Again, minus the tortillas, store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready for it, thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat on the hob.
More Mexican recipes to try
Queso Fundido with Chorizo Chicken Chilaquiles with Warm Corn Salsa Best Taco Meat Recipe (With Homemade Spice Mix) Stuffed Pepper Soup
