Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 50 min
Servings: 8
Yield: 8 servings

Description

This chicken soup sets itself apart from the rest by using fresh flour tortillas and gets its spice from green chile and chipotle peppers.

Ingredients

8 (1 ounce) slices smoked bacon, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (32 ounce) container chicken broth
3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes and mild green chile peppers (such as RO*TEL®)
1 (14 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14 ounce) can whole kernel corn
3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped, or to taste
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons dried cilantro
3 (8 inch) flour tortillas, cut into strips
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Directions

1 Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy, about 5 minutes. Drain on a paper towel, reserving 1 tablespoon grease in the skillet. Add onion and garlic to the skillet; cook and stir until onion are translucent, about 5 minutes.
2 Combine chicken broth and chicken breasts in a large pot; bring to a boil. Cook until chicken breasts are no longer pink in the center, about 15 minutes. Remove chicken breasts from broth; cool until easily handled.
3 Stir bacon, onion, garlic, diced tomatoes and green chile peppers, and tomato sauce into the chicken broth. Add corn, chipotle peppers, salt, pepper, cumin, and cilantro.
4 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place tortilla strips on a baking sheet.
5 Tear chicken breasts into small strips; add to the broth mixture. Cook and stir until soup flavors combine, about 20 minutes.
6 Bake tortilla strips in the preheated oven until slightly crisp, about 5 minutes.
7 Ladle soup into serving bowls. Top with sour cream; garnish with tortilla strips and Cheddar cheese.