Nikis Version of Pappasitos Tortilla Soup
Tortilla soup with grilled chicken with a chicken-stock/broth base
Tortilla soup with grilled chicken with a chicken-stock/broth base
- 2 cups chicken broth
- cilantro
- 2 cartons chicken stock
- 1 cup white onion diced
- 1 bag of carrots peeled & sliced in half or thirds
- 1 fresh, minced jalapeno (1 for flavor) (2 if you like it spicy)
- 3 zucchinis; sliced (in like 1/2 in. circles – leave skin on)
- 1 yellow squash sliced (like the zucchini)
- 1 tablespoon salt (i use sea salt)
- 2 roma tomatoes diced
- 6 half-corn cobs (fresh or frozen)
- package of corn tortillas (or you can cheat and use pre-pkg'd tortilla strips)
- 1 bag of shredded fancy monterey jack cheese
- lime
- boneless skinless chicken breast (put fiesta fajita seasoning on the breasts and let your husband grill them). let the chicken cool and then cut it into chunks.
- Carbohydrate 4.36386844286899 g
- Cholesterol 230 mg
- Fat 46.2885690625575 g
- Fiber 0.776650025815971 g
- Protein 57.5961325006323 g
- Saturated Fat 13.2444702083575 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (373g)
- Sodium 217.312166668966 mg
- Sugar 3.58721841705302 g
- Trans Fat 3.95579458334943 g
- Calories 677 calories
Step-by-step
- Place the stock and broth in a pot over medium heat.
- Add onions and cut-up two corn tortillas (into small pieces) and simmer.
- Add carrots, about a teaspoon of cilantro, and jalapeno(s).
- Bring to a boil.
- Reduce to low (level 2).
- Add chicken chunks (and frozen corn if using frozen).
- Cook on low for about an hour.
- After an hour, add fresh corn, zucchini, yellow squash, salt, and simmer 10 minutes more.
- Taste and make sure all veggies are tender.
- Add tomatoes to pot just before serving.
- Garnish soup in bowls with corn, crispy tortilla strips, cheese, cilantro, & fresh lime juice.
Starching a broth with torn corn tortillas fundamentally alters the liquid's viscosity by releasing amylose molecules into the simmering stock. Traditional restaurant styles often rely on masa harina, but fragmenting leftover tortillas directly into the pot achieves an identical thickening effect without purchasing specialized corn flour. Maintaining a low simmer prevents the chicken proteins from seizing while the aromatics soften.
Building the Aromatic Base
Onions release sulfur compounds when diced, which sweeten significantly during the initial medium-heat phase before boiling. Carrots require a full hour of thermal energy to break down their rigid cellular walls of pectin, transforming a watery broth into a cohesive base. Jalapeños introduce capsaicin, a heat-stable compound that disperses evenly throughout the liquid over extended cooking times, meaning one pepper yields background warmth while two create a sharper bite. Tomatoes added at the very end preserve ascorbic acid and volatile flavor compounds that heat otherwise degrades.
Textural Contrast and Frying Mechanics
Baking homemade tortilla strips at 350 degrees Fahrenheit dehydrates the corn starches rapidly, creating a rigid matrix that resists immediate sogginess when submerged in hot broth. Grilling the chicken breasts over high heat induces the Maillard reaction, generating complex savory molecules on the meat surface before it is diced. Monterey cheese melts smoothly due to high moisture and fat content, binding to the lime juice's acidity to create a balanced emulsion in the bowl.
