Guest Post: Joanne's Chicken Tortilla Soup

Our second guest blogger is Joanne, bestie, foodie, and fellow world traveler. Joanne teaches with Amy and is also her lunch provider extraordinaire. Thoughtful and generous, she made the delicious chili we posted pictures of yesterday. Thanks, Joanne, for sharing your recipe for this soup. It's a very close second to your chili in the list of Amy's favorite school lunches.

Joanne writes:

Most people remember their first loves and first kisses. I also remember the first time Amy, my best foodie friend, called one of my culinary creations “restaurant worthy.” Amy loves this soup—as much as she loves my chili. I’m happy to share both with her in our lunch club (I’ve had the pleasure of trying many of her and Chris’s recipes), and to share the recipe with you, A Couple in the Kitchen readers.

I first developed the recipe last February, while going through a Mexican food phase, to beat the doldrums of a cold and grey winter. As you can imagine, this smoky, spicy soup has become a weekly regular on our lunch menu this, much whiter, winter.

Heat 2 tbs. canola oil over medium heat in a 4 qt. pot.

While heating, dice 1 onion and 3 cloves garlic.

Add to hot oil and sauté until onion softens, about 5 minutes.
Add 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. adobo sauce and 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, sliced open, deseeded and minced.

Cook another 2 minutes.

Add 1 tbs. cumin and 1 tbs. chili powder.

Cook another 3 minutes to allow spices to bloom.

Add 4 cups chicken broth and 2 cups beef broth (or some other combination of 6 cups of broth)

Cover and bring to a boil (which will take about 10 minutes). (Taste for seasoning, adjust if necessary.)

Once boiling, add:

½ cup canned black beans (rinsed and drained)

½ cup diced tomatoes

½ cup frozen (or canned) corn
1 cup water

Cover and return to a simmer. Simmer 10 minutes uncovered.

Take off heat. Puree with immersion blender (or transfer to blender and puree) leaving some tomato chunks. Soup will lighten in color and become almost “creamy” from the starch in the beans and corn.

Return to heat. Add an additional:

½ cup corn

½ cup black beans

¼ cup diced tomatoes

Heat through. Ladle into bowls over shredded chicken.

Finish with a squeeze of lime.

Garnish as desired, with shredded cheese and tortilla sticks (recipe follows), sour cream and/or avocado.

Tortilla sticks

Slice corn tortillas in strips. Toss with canola or other vegetable oil and season with chili powder and bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until crisp.