Photo by Tom McCorkle; food styling by Bonnie S. Benwick, both for The Washington Post
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As much as I like a good taco, my favorite thing to make with corn tortillas is . . . soup! When the tortillas are torn into craggy pieces that disintegrate in a good broth, their toasted corny flavor really pops.
Here, they join forces with a couple of unexpected ingredients - golden raisins, tomato paste and sesame seeds - that make all the difference, bringing a subtle sweetness.
We're using an immersion (stick) blender, right in the pot, to make this soup creamy smooth - so much so that you don't really need to add the half-and-half. But we like it with, and without. And yes, you can use a blender to achieve the same result.
The recipe starts with the quick cooking of a pounded chicken-breast half, which will be shredded and added to the soup bowls just before serving. The browned bits from the chicken that are left in the pan, called fond, lend flavor to the onion mixture that is sauteed and then added to the broth. And even though you are making a relatively small amount of soup here, do so in a deep pot. That way the immersion blender won't distribute soup on your stovetop - and your shirt front.
You can make this meatless, of course, by omitting the chicken and using frozen/defrosted roasted corn kernels and vegetable broth instead.
Leftover soup will thicken in the refrigerator overnight, so loosen it up with some water or more broth when you reheat it.
CREAMY CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP
INGREDIENTS
• 1 medium white onion
• 2 large cloves garlic
• 1 large boneless, skinless chicken-breast half
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 to 2 teaspoons Louisiana-style hot sauce, or more as needed
• 2 tablespoons golden raisins
• 1 tablespoon roasted/toasted sesame seeds
• 2-1/2 to 3 cups chicken broth, preferably no-salt-added
• Four 6-inch corn tortillas
• 1/2 cup (vegan) half-and-half
• Lime wedges, for serving
STEPS
Cut the onion into 1/2-inch dice. Smash and peel the garlic. Place the chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap; pound to an even thickness of about 1/2 inch. Discard the wrap and season the chicken lightly with the salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the chicken; sear it on both sides for a total of 5 to 8 minutes, until just cooked through and lightly browned. Transfer to a plate to cool.
Add the onion and garlic to the pan; cook for about 5 minutes, until softened and fragrant.
Clear a spot at the center of the pan and add the tomato paste, spreading it a bit. Cook, undisturbed, for 1 minute, then add the hot sauce (to taste), raisins and sesame seeds, stirring to incorporate.
Heat 2 1/2 cups of the broth in a deep pot, over medium heat. Transfer the onion mixture to the pot of broth, being sure to scrape the pan clean.
Tear the 4 tortillas into several pieces, letting them fall into the pot as you work. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring a few times. The tortillas should be softened/falling apart.
While that's cooking, shred the cooled chicken with your hands or cut it into bite-size chunks. Cut the lime into wedges.
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Use an immersion (stick) blender to puree the soup mixture until creamy smooth. If it seems too thick, add some or all the remaining 1/2 cup of broth. Stir in the half-and-half, if using. Taste, and add more salt, as needed.
Once it has just warmed through, remove from the heat. Divide between or among wide, shallow bowls, then add the shredded chicken to each portion, mounding it at the center.
Serve with lime wedges, passing more hot sauce at the table.
NUTRITION (based on 3, using 3 cups broth)
Calories: 270; Total Fat: 9 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Cholesterol: 55 mg; Sodium: 290 mg; Carbohydrates: 25 g; Dietary Fiber: 3 g; Sugars: 8 g; Protein: 23 g.