A great perk to re-upping my membership to the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum was a fancy new cookbook “dining with the desert museum,” that I’ve been wanting to cook from. Since it’s been cold (for Tucson), I mean we even had a fire last night, I decided on the Tortilla Soup. I have to admit, I deviated some from the recipe, but it turned out delicious, the best tortilla soup I’ve ever had! Disclaimer: It didn’t go over so well with my six year old though, she proclaimed I was “Chopped,” although she said I redeemed myself with my cornbread – you know, the stuff from the Trader Joe’s box…
Chicken: I used about 4 cups of shredded smoked chicken we had left over, the recipe calls for two chicken breasts
3 Quarts Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1 Onion
2 carrots
2 Celery Stalks
(Or go to Trader Joe’s and by the pre-chopped mirepoix – that’s what I did)
1 Large Yukon Gold Potato – Diced
1/2 Cup Tomato Paste
1 Bay Leaf
4 Cloves Garlic
1/2 Cup Green Chilies
2 Tablespoons fresh Oregano (our Garden is getting overrun by the stuff!)
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin
2 Zucchinis -Diced
1 Red Bell Pepper- Diced
1 Lime, Juiced
2 Tablespoons Sherry
Toppings:
Cilantro
Avocado
Jack Cheese
Tortilla Chips
In a large saucepan (use a large one, this makes a lot of soup) saute the Mirepoix in olive oil for a couple minutes, add the potato and garlic saute a few more minutes. Add broth, tomato paste, bay leaf, oregano, cumin. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add zucchini, bell pepper, lime juice and sherry. Simmer for 20 more minutes after bringing to a boil. Add chicken, heat through. Serve with toppings!
