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Chicken, Tortilla, and Lime Soup

Source of Recipe

From "Williams Sonoma: Cooking at Home" by Chuck Williams


Recipe Introduction

"This Yucatecan soup, called sopa de lima in its native Mexico, nicely balances the tartness of lime with the heat of chiles. Although it's not authentic to do so, 1 cup of fresh corn kernels can be added to the soup with the tomatoes."

List of Ingredients

◦ 4 quarts (16 cups) chicken stock
◦ Canola oil for deep-frying
◦ 3 corn tortillas, cut into narrow strips
◦ 1 � pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
◦ 3 tablespoons olive oil
◦ 1 large yellow onion, chopped
◦ 2 tablespoons minced garlic
◦ 2 to 3 teaspoons finely minced jalape�o chile, with or without seeds
◦ 1 � cups peeled, seeded, and diced tomatoes
◦ 6 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
◦ 6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
◦ Salt and ground pepper


Recipe

In a large saucepan over high heat, bring 3 � quarts of the stock to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly and boil gently until reduced to about 7 cups, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour the oil to a depth of 2 inches into a deep saut� pan or a saucepan and heat to 375� F on a deep-frying thermometer. Working in batches, drop in the tortilla strips and fry until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain.

In a saucepan, combine the chicken breasts and the remaining 2 cups stock, bring to a simmer over medium heat, and cook gently until the chicken is opaque throughout, about 8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and cut into bite-size pieces. Set aside. Reserve the stock for another use.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and saut�, stirring occasionally, until translucent and tender, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and the chile to taste and cook for 1 to 2 minutes to soften. Add the reduced stock, raise the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and add the chicken, tomatoes, cilantro, and lime juice. Season with 1 � teaspoons salt and � teaspoon pepper and simmer until the chicken is heated through, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and garnish with the tortilla strips. Serve right away.

Makes 6 servings







Notes:

❧ Latin-Style Garnishes: In Mexico, soups are often served with an array of fresh garnishes for diners to add as they like. For this soup, you can set out lime quarters for anyone who enjoys extra tartness and some diced avocado to help offset the spiciness of the broth.

❧ Keeping it Clear: For this soup, the chicken is not cooked directly in the soup base because the soup would become cloudy. A nice clear stock showcases the colorful ingredients that make this soup so special.