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Sopa Azteca
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Chicken Tortilla Soup (Sopa Azteca)

A flavourful and vibrant soup made from scratch.  Perfect for a warm meal on a cool day!
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 4 Servings
Author Into the Dish

Ingredients

Broth

  • 2 whole chicken legs thigh and drumstick attached - some skin removed
  • 1 small onion quartered
  • 1 celery chopped into 4 pieces
  • 2 carrots chopped into 1 inch chunks
  • 1 clove of garlic whole
  • 1 bay leaf
  • parsley a small handful of leaves and/or stems
  • 2 sprigs of thyme
  • 8 peppercorns
  • salt

Sopa Azteca 

  • 1 T oil
  • 1/3 cup onion diced
  • 1/3 cup celery diced
  • 1/3 cup carrot diced
  • 1/3 c zucchini diced
  • 1/2 red pepper diced
  • 1/2 roma tomato diced
  • 1/2 jalapeño pepper seeds removed, finely diced (use 1/3 jalapeno for a more mild flavour)
  • 1/3 cup corn kernels fresh or frozen
  • 1 clove of garlic finely diced
  • 3/4 t cumin
  • 3/4 t smoked paprika
  • salt and pepper
  • 4 cups of chicken broth and 1 cup shredded chicken as made above*

Garnishes

  • Tortilla chips avocado, cilantro leaves, Monterey Jack cheese, lime wedges

Instructions

Broth 

  • Place chicken snuggly in a pot and fill with COLD water up to about 2 inches above the chicken.  
  • Add 1 tsp of salt and bring to a SIMMER (do not boil!).
  • Skim any fat or scum off the top and add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic.  Simmer for 30 minutes, occasionally skimming any white bubbles, or scum, from the top.
  • Add the bay leaf, parsley, thyme and peppercorns and simmer for another 10 minutes or so.
  • When done, strain the broth into a bowl, reserving the chicken for the Sopa Azteca.  Pull the chicken meat off of the bone and set aside.  
  • **This can be made and refrigerated 2 or 3 days in advance.

Sopa Azteca

  • In a medium pot, sweat the vegetables in oil until softened.
  • Stir in the cumin and smoked paprika and cook for a minute or two.
  • Add 4 cups of the reserved chicken broth* and simmer.  Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if required. 
  • Add in chicken and simmer for a few more minutes.
  • Pour into hot bowls and garnish with the toppings of your choice (tortilla chips, cheese, lime, cilantro, avocado).

Notes

  • Leaving some skin on the chicken contributes to the delicious flavour, but too much can lead to a broth that is a bit too greasy.  Remove some skin, but leave some on.  You can always cool the broth when done and remove any excess fat with a spoon.
  • When dicing the vegetables for this soup, try to cut them all the same size.  I like to use a corn kernel as a guideline.
  • Broth can be made 2 or 3 days in advance and refrigerated until ready for use.  Broth can also be portioned out and frozen for later use.
  • Don't forget you can always use store bought chicken broth and left over chicken to make this soup in a snap!