Chicken Tortilla Soup

I may be telling you in one ear that there’s never been a better time to cook a life-changing ragù all day long. But in the other, I’m whispering all those quick and easy dinner recipes for those nights (every night!) you have about 2 ounces of energy and 2 chicken breasts left, and no idea what to do with them.

This is corona cooking at it’s simplest - comforting, easy to make, good to eat and with few ingredients. You can even make it ahead if you know your house at dinnertime is often, like mine, a sh*tshow.

Cooking every night after working from home and homeschooling your kids all day may not be your thing, I get it. On the nights I can’t be bothered, we eat chicken nuggets. On the nights I can’t be bothered but also can’t do another night of nuggets, I make something like this soup. 30 minutes start to finish, not a lot of clean-up, really delicious and satisfying.

CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP

This soup makes the most of a little bit of chicken - just two chicken breasts or thighs makes a big batch of soup. Plus, you’ll probably already have most of the ingredients at home. If you want to make it go even farther, throw in one of those cans of beans you panic-bought last week and then stared at blankly. I bought 2 or 3 (or 6) bags of corn chips when I heard the world was ending, so I had some to spare to crumble on top of this soup. If you don’t, or don’t want to sacrifice your last bag of happiness, that’s fine, too. Adapted from the VERY thorough blog Little Broken, which is a great resource for new cooks. Takes about 30 minutes start to finish and makes 5 servings.

2 chicken breasts or thighs

1 onion

2 carrots

2 celery stalks

2 garlic cloves

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon mild chili powder

2 tablespoons flour

1 large can or jar (28 oz / 700 grams) crushed tomatoes

4 cups chicken broth (or 4 cups water + 2 stock cubes)

1 cup milk

2 cups frozen corn

1 can cannellini or white beans (optional - if you’re looking for ways to use all your cans!)

To serve: corn chips, sour cream or yogurt, cilantro or parsley, lime wedges (all optional)

Preheat the oven to 200 C / 400 degrees F. Rub the chicken with olive oil on both sides and season thoroughly with salt and pepper. Roast on a pan covered in tin toil 20 mins or so, until cooked. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it up with your hands and set it aside.

Meanwhile, using a choppy-chop thing, a food processor or a big knife, finely chop the onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Heat a big glug of olive oil in a large pot and add the diced vegetables, stirring often, about 4-5 minutes.

Add in the spices and cook, stirring frequently, for about 30 seconds or until the flavors blend then stir in the flour and cook for another minute.

Stir in the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth (I used two boullion cubes and 4 cups water) and milk. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. The soup will reduce and slightly thicken.

Using an immersion blender, purée the soup until it’s smooth. Stir in the frozen corn and shredded chicken (and can of beans, if using), and cook for a couple minutes more, until heated through. Serve with crushed corn chips, sour cream, cilantro/coriander or parsley, and a squeeze of lime.