The best chicken tortilla soup, it only takes 30 minutes!

Growing up we had soup once a week. At least. Vegetable soup, beef soup, hamburger soup, chicken soup, chili, potato soup on special occasions... When my aunt, uncle and cousins from Kansas moved here, they thought we were insane for eating soup all year long. Especially summer when you wish it was as cool as 92 degrees. But it's so good! I don't make it very often since BJ is also from the north and usually doesn't want soup in the summer. So when he's out of town I make a huge pot and eat it all week.

For the past few weeks I've been on a tortilla soup kick. I can't stop thinking about it! First I had some from Chuy's (one of the best!). Even after eating more than one person should in one sitting, I was still craving it. So the next week I had the El Rey tortilla soup (as equally awesome as Chuy's). Again, I ate more than I should. And it still didn't cure my craving. Oh, don't get me wrong, it was good to the last drop! Literally, if any was left in the plastic container, I got it. So this week I decided to make some hoping it will cure my craving for good! Or, at least for a few weeks so I can eat other things besides soup. Plus, it's super quick, inexpensive, and easy. I'm hoping that RR would be proud of me with my quick recipe.

30 minute chicken tortilla soup

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Half a medium onion, coarsely chopped
Half a green bell pepper, very coarsely chopped
Half a red bell pepper, very coarsely chopped
1 cup of frozen corn
1 jalapeno
4 cups chicken stock (more if you like a lot of broth)
1 cup packed cilantro, stems are okay
1 16oz can whole peeled tomatoes with juice
1 8oz can of tomato sauce
1/2 tablespoon of cumin
Chicken meat from half a rotisserie chicken (more if you it meaty)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Corn tortilla cut into 1/2 inch wide strips

Garnishes:
Avocado
Shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Lime

Saute the onions, corn, bell peppers, and jalapenos in the oil until soft.



Allow the veggies to get a little brown on one side for a grilled flavor.



Add the chicken broth and cilantro. Crush or chop up the tomatoes as fine or course as you like. I usually pour all the contents from the can in a small bowl and squish the tomatoes by hand. Stir, then add tomatoes with the juice and cumin.



Stir, then add the chicken and simmer on medium-low for 15 minutes.

While simmering, heat the other tablespoon of oil for 1 minute. Add the tortilla strips in one layer (don't crowd them, or they will get too soggy) and cook on both sides until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.



Assemble and eat!!! I usually add one of each garnished listed above. This is BJ's bowl of soup since he makes his prettier. It only take 30 minutes!

It's been a few hours since I ate it. I don't think I've been cured yet.

Creamy cilantro & jalapeno enchiladas

If you're from Pearland you know about Gringos. I love the place, and not living close to one anymore is hard. Thankfully there are other restaurants to fulfill my Tex-Mex needs (Chuy's). The Heights > Gringos. My favorite Mexican dish is enchiladas, and Gringos has the best! Maybe it's a nostalgia-thing. Especially since eating those enchiladas makes me reminisce about skipping school to eat there for lunch with Nicole, going before rehearsals to get free ice cream, going there for birthdays, hanging out with friends and family while waiting an hour to sit... or maybe it's the large amount of buttery, sour cream sauce they load on. Either way, they are my fave. Just writing about them is making me want them, and that's after eating my homemade ones two nights in a row. Speaking of which, they were actually pretty good! Enchiladas never turn out right. But I recently realized that because Gringos doesn't bake a dozen of them in a casserole dish. They just assemble on the plate and pour on the sauce! Cheaters!!!

BJ has always preferred flour tortillas, so I use those. I think next time I will use corn and a shallow dish. That way I can flatten them out for more crispy surface area. Like this, the enchiladas are a little too soft leftover. They also needed more cheese. Regardless, they were still good, and they look pretty too!



Creamy cilantro & jalapeno enchiladas

8 tortillas

filling:
1.5 lb. of chicken
2 roma tomatoes chopped
half small onion chopped
1 lime, squeezed
3 cups cheese (I used cheddar and monterrey jack)

sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup of whipping cream
1/2 cup cilantro
1 small can green chiles/jalapenos
salt & pepper

garnish:
sour cream
chopped tomatoes
diced onions
cilantro
green chiles/jalapenos

I cooked the chicken in stock in my crock pot while I was at work. It worked out perfect because when I got home it fell off the bone.

Set the oven at 375. Spray the casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Mix the chicken, tomatoes, onions and lime juice. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the flour, whisking until golden and bubbly, about 2-3 minutes. Slowly whisk the broth into the flour mixture. Stir in the sour cream, whisking if necessary to remove any lumps. Add the rest of the ingredients and let simmer until it thickens for a few minutes. I wanted everything well incorporated so I used the emulsion blender on it for a few pulses. It's not necessary if you don't have one. Assemble each one on a tortilla with a sprinkle of cheese, then chicken mixture, then more cheese, then a drizzle of the sauce. Roll up tightly and place edge-side down. I usually just repeat until I run out of room in the casserole dish or an ingredient. Pour on the sauce and sprinkle the rest of the cheese. Bake uncovered for about 20 to 25 minutes. I usually just bake until the cheese looks pretty.

Garnish and serve! It looks like this when it's done. Serve with rice, beans, or chips and salsa, or margaritas...



I ♥ cooking!