Description
A vibrant and flavorful Mexican chicken soup featuring a rich blend of dried chili, tomatoes, and aromatic spices, served with zesty lime juice and customizable toppings like tortilla chips, avocado, and fresh coriander. Perfect for a comforting and refreshing meal with a homemade touch.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 ancho or other large dried chili, deseeded and softened in boiling water for about 10 mins
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 400g can plum tomatoes
- 1½ liters chicken stock
- 2 chicken breasts, sliced
- juice of 2 limes
Toppings
- Tortilla chips or homemade tortilla strips (see method)
- Chopped avocado
- Lime wedges
- Red onion, finely sliced
- Fresh coriander
Homemade Tortilla Strips
- 6 corn tortilla wraps
- Olive oil spray or brush
- Seasoning (salt and optional spices)
Instructions
- Prepare the homemade tortilla strips: Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan 180°C/gas mark 6). Cut the corn tortillas into thin slices. Place them on a baking tray, lightly spray or brush with olive oil, season to taste, then bake for 4-5 minutes until they turn golden and crispy. Set aside.
- Soften the dried chili: Deseed the ancho chili and soak it in boiling water for about 10 minutes to soften.
- Cook the aromatics: Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and crushed garlic cloves and soften them gently for about 5 minutes until translucent and fragrant.
- Add spices and liquids: Stir in the softened dried chili, ground cumin, canned plum tomatoes, and chicken stock into the saucepan. Cook for a few minutes to combine the flavors.
- Purée the soup: Transfer the soup mixture in batches to a food processor or use a hand blender directly in the pan to blend until completely smooth and velvety.
- Simmer with chicken: Return the puréed soup to the pan and bring it to a boil. Add the sliced chicken breasts, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked through.
- Finish the soup: Stir in the fresh lime juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle the hot soup into bowls.
- Serve with toppings: Arrange the homemade tortilla strips or chips, chopped avocado, lime wedges, sliced red onion, and fresh coriander in the center of the table to allow everyone to customize their soup.
Notes
- You can substitute shredded leftover cooked chicken or turkey for the chicken breasts, using about 250g and simmering until heated through.
- Adjust the chili quantity according to your spice preference or substitute with another dried chili variety.
- Homemade tortilla strips add a delicious crunch but store-bought tortilla chips can also be used for convenience.
- For a vegetarian version, omit the chicken and use vegetable stock instead.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Keywords: Mexican chicken soup, chicken tortilla soup, ancho chili soup, homemade tortilla strips, lime soup, healthy Mexican recipe
