Mission City Tex Mex Tortilla Soup

Truly a “super bowl” of soup that nourishes and thrills not only in February but at any time of the year!

 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion, minced
  • 1 red or yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons Mission City Tex-Mex Seasoning
  • Shredded meat from a 3-to- 4lb. rotisserie chicken
  • 1 can (10 ounces) Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 6 to 8 cups chicken stock
  • 2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 can (15 ounces) white hominy (pozole), drained
Embellishments:
  • 1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 4 whole corn tortillas, cut into thin strips measuring about ½-inch- wide by 3-to- 4- inches-long
  • Thinly sliced scallions
  • Diced avocado
  • Salsa or pico de gallo
  • Freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • Minced fresh cilantro
  • Lime wedges

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the minced onion, bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, and garlic. Sauté until softened, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the Mission City Tex-Mex Seasoning and cook, stirring for 2 minutes more.
  2. Add the shredded chicken, Rotel tomatoes, and tomato paste. Toss to combine and coat everything evenly with the sautéed vegetables and seasonings. Pour in 6 cups of the chicken stock and the drained black beans; season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a simmer and let simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally for 40 minutes. Add the hominy to the soup, stirring to combine. If the soup seems too thick, thin to the desired consistency with the remaining 2 cups chicken stock. Continue simmering the soup for 10 to 15 minutes more.
  3. Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and fry the corn tortilla strips in batches until crisped and lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes per batch. Remove from the skillet with tongs and let drain on paper towels.
  4. When ready to serve the soup, lay out as many of the suggested embellishments as desired - we love all of them! Ladle the hot tortilla soup into wide shallow bowls and scatter a handful of fried tortilla strips over the top of each serving and then let each guest help themselves to adding any or all of the embellishments to the soup. Serve hot.

Serves 6

 

 

Written by Sarah Leah Chase

Sarah Leah Chase moved to Nantucket, Massachusetts, as a year-round resident in 1980 and opened a specialty food shop and catering business called Que Sera Sarah, which soon became an island institution.

 

Sarah develops recipes and concepts for her husband Nigel’s specialty food company, Coastal Goods. She lives with her family on Cape Cod, where she enjoys oystering and gardening as much as cooking.