Chicken and Grilled Corn Tortilla Soup

I love tortilla soup and usually make Ina Garten’s version.  We recently dined at a local Mexican restaurant and enjoyed their brothy chicken and grilled corn tortilla soup filled with chunks of chicken, grilled corn, creamy avocado, and crispy tortilla strips. I decided to re-create it at home by simmering a leftover roasted chicken carcass with some chicken bouillon, cilantro, Anaheim pepper, garlic, onion, carrots, celery, and spices.  I let it simmer for 6 hours covered, then boiled it for 10 minutes uncovered to help reduce it down and make it even more flavorful.  I strained the broth, then added bits of chicken, grilled corn, tortilla strips, cotija cheese, and fresh cilantro.  This chicken and grilled corn tortilla soup recipe was a big hit with my whole family, and we thought it paired nicely with a Mexican wedge salad.

Chicken and Grilled Corn Tortilla Soup

Broth:

• 7 cups of water
• 1 chicken carcass, with ALL leftover bones including, wings, drumsticks, and thigh bones, skin removed (I left some of the thigh meat on for more flavor)
• 2-3 tbsp chicken bouillon granules, to taste
• Handful of cilantro
• 1 Anaheim pepper, seeds removed and chopped
• ½ yellow onion, chopped
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1-2 tsp cumin, to taste
• ½ – 1 tsp dried oregano, to taste
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Other Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
• 6 corn tortillas
• 1 cup of frozen corn, thawed
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• Leftover roasted chicken breasts, diced
• 1 avocado, diced
• Cotija cheese, grated
• Fresh cilantro, chopped

How to Make Chicken and Grilled Corn Tortilla Soup

Make the homemade broth by combining all ingredients in a large Dutch oven or Stock Pot over medium-low heat.  Cover and simmer for 6 hours, stirring occasionally.

Taste and re-season with seasonings if needed/desired.

Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer.

Let the broth cool for 10-15 minutes, then remove the fat off of the top of the broth.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment and coat it with olive oil cooking spray.

Bake the tortilla strips by spraying both sides of each corn tortilla with cooking spray.  Cut the tortillas into thin strips.

Evenly spread them on the prepared baking sheet; season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper.

Place into the oven and bake for 7-10 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from the oven and let them cool.

Meanwhile, cook the corn by heating a grill pan over medium-high heat, coated with olive oil cooking spray.

Once the grill pan is HOT, add the corn.  Let the corn sit for 2-3 minutes without stirring; season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste, then stir and cook for another 1-2 minutes or until the corn is cooked through and has grill marks.

To serve soup, ladle broth into bowls. Add leftover roasted chicken breast, grilled corn, and diced avocado to the soup, then top with tortilla strips, cotija cheese, and cilantro.

Serve immediately.  Enjoy.

Chicken and Grilled Corn Tortilla Soup

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 6 hours hours

Total Time: 6 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: 4

Author: Pam - For the Love of Cooking

Equipment

• Large Dutch Oven or Stock Pot
• Fine Sieve Strainer
• Baking Sheet

Ingredients

Broth:

• 7 cups of water
• 1 chicken carcass with ALL leftover bones including, wings, drumsticks, and thigh bones, skin removed (I left some of the thigh meat on for more flavor)
• 2-3 tbsp chicken bouillon granules to taste
• Handful of cilantro
• 1 Anaheim pepper seeds removed and chopped
• ½ yellow onion chopped
• 3 carrots chopped
• 3 celery stalks chopped
• 6 cloves of garlic minced
• 1-2 tsp cumin to taste
• ½ - 1 tsp dried oregano to taste
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

Other Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
• 6 corn tortillas
• 1 cup of frozen corn thawed
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
• Leftover roasted chicken breasts diced
• 1 avocado diced
• Cotija cheese grated
• Fresh cilantro chopped

Instructions

• Make the homemade broth by combining all ingredients in a large Dutch oven or Stock Pot over medium-low heat.  Cover and simmer for 6 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Taste and re-season with seasonings if needed/desired.
• Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer.
• Let the broth cool for 10-15 minutes, then remove the fat off of the top of the broth.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment and coat it with olive oil cooking spray.
• Bake the tortilla strips by spraying both sides of each corn tortilla with cooking spray.  Cut the tortillas into thin strips.
• Evenly spread them on the prepared baking sheet; season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper.
• Place into the oven and bake for 7-10 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from the oven and let them cool.
• Meanwhile, cook the corn by heating a grill pan over medium-high heat, coated with olive oil cooking spray.
• Once the grill pan is HOT, add the corn.  Let the corn sit for 2-3 minutes without stirring; season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste, then stir and cook for another 1-2 minutes or until the corn is cooked through and has grill marks.
• To serve soup, ladle broth into bowls. Add leftover roasted chicken breast, grilled corn, and diced avocado to the soup, then top with tortilla strips, cotija cheese, and cilantro.
• Serve immediately.  Enjoy.

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