I’ve had different versions of “Tortilla Soup”, both thick and thin, that leave me to believe there must be a wide range of recipes for this soup. I’ve never officially made Tortilla Soup. But that doesn’t keep me from adding similar ingredients to a pot, and calling it “Mexican Soup”. That’s an attention getter right there at our house because “Mexican” is our favorite cuisine.
Since I don’t use a recipe, I noted the amount of ingredients I used while making the soup for the video. Then, I adjusted the ingredients to better accommodate serving 5-6 people.
You’ll note in the video that I was using homemade chicken broth and canned beans. It’s not unusual for me to use home cooked beans, a lot more of them, and their broth. Sometimes I use less chicken broth and sometimes no chicken broth at all. In fact, sometimes I even skip the chicken altogether.
Feel free to use this recipe as a guide. And take some liberties to change things according to the ingredients you have on hand, your time frame, the number of people you’re serving and your tastes.
Mexican Soup Recipe:
- 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 1-2 cloves minced garlic
- quart chicken broth
- 15 oz can finely chopped tomatoes
- 15 oz can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- ¼ cup rice
- ¼ cup corn
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup cabbage, finely chopped
- 1 cup chicken pieces
- 1 ½ tsp chili powder
- 1 ½ tsp cumin
- ½ can sliced olives
- ½ jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
- Tbsp chopped cilantro
Pour oil in the soup pot and saute onion. When onion is soft, add the garlic and stir for a few minutes to saute garlic. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, pinto beans, rice, corn, cabbage and salt. Add water for thinner consistency, if desired. Allow to boil gently, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until rice is tender.
Turn down the heat and add chicken to heat through. Add the chili powder, cumin, sliced olives, jalapeno and cilantro. Taste to see if additional salt is needed.
Garnish bowls of soup with shredded cheese, cubes of avocado and a dollop of sour cream, if desired.
Serve with tortilla chips or fresh tortillas.
