Ingredients:
1 grilled chicken breast per person (chopped to bite size)
4 cups of chicken stock per person
1/2 cup of prepared pico de gallo
1 can of rotel
1 bunch of cilantro
1 can of black beans rinsed and drained
1 yellow or red onion chopped
1 tbs garlic minced
1/2 cup of manchego cheese shredded
1/2 avocado diced
1 pat of butter
Handful of tortilla chips
1 lime
Optional: Jalepeno peppers
Directions:
saute diced onion with a pat of butter until soft in a large saucepan. Add garlic, contents of rotel can and black beans. Add chicken stock and heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Place diced chicken breast, shredded cheese, pico de gallo, diced avocado and several crumbled tortilla chips on a bowl. Ladle soup base over the top and garnish with cilantro and lime wedge. Add Jalepeno if you wish.
Options: use different cheeses, add chipotle, use a tomato soup base, make your own pico or buy some, add corn, make your own tortilla crisps.
The story:
Several years ago Paul and I used to work together at the same plant. We occasionally had enough time to go to lunch and often found ourselves rotating among many restaurants close by. One favorite was La palmera and the tortilla soup. Most tortilla soups we tried at other restaurants were too spicy or had a very heavy tomato soup base. I was not a fan, as my preference is for less heat and lighter soups. Dipping into a bowl of that tortilla soup was heaven. Grabbing that gooey cheese covered chicken off the bottom was always a delicious experience. Now that we are no longer in the area, we haven’t been able to have this soup for years. This was a pretty good recreation, and significantly cheaper than what we used to pay. I did make my own Pico de gallo and that fresh element adds a really nice texture and bite.