How to Make Chicken Tortilla Soup Cheaply

Chicken tortilla soup can be made cheaply.

Chicken tortilla soup is a rich and hearty Southwestern treat, usually consisting of chicken, beans, traditional Mexican vegetables and toppings. By cooking your beans from scratch, making your own chicken broth and cutting out a few of the more expensive ingredients, like cheese and avocados, you can help lower the cost per serving drastically. Replacing these pricey toppings with cheaper options like cilantro, onion and fresh lime makes this comfort food better for your waistline, not just your wallet.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Dried black beans
• Chicken parts
• Salt and pepper
• Chili powder
• Paprika
• White onion
• Garlic
• Green pepper
• Canned stewed tomatoes
• Corn
• Corn tortillas
• Cilantro
• Lime

1. Rinse 1 cup of dried black beans the night before making soup. Remove any stones or other inedible pieces and let them soak in a pot with 6 cups of water overnight to soften. Strain the beans the following morning and boil them for one hour. Set them aside.

2. Prepare chicken stock by adding 3 lbs. of chicken parts, bone in, to a large stock pot. Cover with water, and add 1 tbsp. of salt, 1 tbsp. of chili powder and pepper to taste. Boil until the water begins to take on a dark color, about four hours, skimming the top of the soup occasionally.

3. Remove the chicken pieces and set the broth aside. Remove the skin and bones from the chicken, and shred it with a fork. Sprinkle with a little salt, black pepper and paprika. If your prefer a spicier soup, add a small amount of cayenne pepper to the shredded chicken.

4. Mince one medium-sized red onion and set a quarter of it aside for garnish. Mince one whole green pepper and one small clove of garlic. Add all three to a large stockpot with a small amount of oil and fry until translucent.

5. Add your homemade chicken broth to the fried onion and pepper, and bring to a simmer. Stir in one 8-oz. can of stewed tomatoes and cover. Let cook for five to 10 minutes.

6. Add the cooked chicken and beans to the soup, along with the corn kernels from one ear of corn and 1 heaping tbsp. of corn meal. Stir and let let cook for an additional 20 minutes.

7. Place six uncooked corn tortillas on a chopping board and use a sharp knife to cut them into 1-inch strips. If a crispier tortilla is desired, fry them briefly in oil until the edges take on a brown color.

8. Serve your hot soup in a bowl, topped with chopped onion, cilantro, and a fresh squeeze of lime juice. Serve the tortilla strips on the side, or directly in the soup.

References

• "Antojitos"; Barbara Sibley, Margaritte Malfy and Mary Goodbody; 2009
• "The Complete Book of Soups and Stews"; Bernard Clayton; 2006
• "The Tightwad Gazette"; Amy Dacyzyn; 1993