Chicken Tortilla Soup

Last week we shared some of John des Rosiers kitchen skills for the home cook from his professional kitchen at Inovasi. Meg wanted some tips to help become a more functional cook, since most of us never receive any formal training. I admitted that I had been cooking for a long time before confessing to my cack-handed approach to chopping.

Go back 2 years when I sent Graham on a knife skills course at The Chopping Block in downtown Chicago, armed with his new Santuko style knife which I had carefully chosen as a birthday gift. I didn’t know that on his return I would be in for a tutorial that would change my relationship with an onion. He arrived home with two ziploc bags filled with neatly diced carrots, celery and onions (I guessed we were in for a lot of soup that week) and proceeded to flex his finely tuned knife handling muscles in a demonstration of how he achieved such perfection. I hadn’t realised that I too should have been on that course and was grateful for his enlightening tutorial.

The prospect of having to chop, dice, mince and grate can be a barrier for the home cook. With a few simple skills learned, you can transform your preparation time into one which is quicker and less onerous, making certain recipes more accessible.

During our knife skills with John he recommended investing in 2 good knives rather than an entire gamut which most home cooks and in fact chefs are unlikely to ever use. Firstly a longer bladed knife to do most of your chopping and a small pairing knife for smaller jobs like peeling garlic. (John suggests Korin.com, the largest importer of Japanese knives in the US and have helpful video tips)

3 things stood out whether you are chopping, shredding or grating:

• Ensure the tool you are using is sharp, and have it professionally sharpened.

• Protect your fingers and minimise the risk of slicing yourself rather than the food by:
  • using a sharp knife (because a dull or blunt knife is more likely to slip)
  • make a claw-like shape with the hand which is holding the food to be chopped, so that your fingers are tucked out of harms way
  • choose a mandolin slicer with a guard

• Cut a flat surface on one side of the fruit or vegetable to be chopped, then lay it flat down on that cut, flat surface to help steady it while chopping.

Our chicken tortilla soup involves as much or as little chopping as you like (you can buy pre-chopped anything these days) but is a good recipe to practice. We understand that some of our followers prefer leaner meat, and the chicken breast works really well in this recipe. We like Katie’s advice of Moms Kitchen Handbook, switch out the vegetables in this recipe for whatever is seasonal. I used carrots and scallions, but during summer harvest time switch to chopped mixed bell peppers. Since avocado is a topping in this recipe, we have included a short tutorial on how to cut and pit an avocado from Chow.

Prep Time 15 minutes     Cooking Time 6-8 hours LOW 3-4 hours HIGH Servings 4 – 6

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts
1 tsp each of cumin, paprika, oregano,
1/4 tsp chili pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp light olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbsp / 2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, chopped
1 can black beans, drained
1 can chopped tomatoes or tomato sauce
5 cups chicken broth

Toppings
4 corn tortilla toasted and sliced
cilantro
lime juice
cotija or other sharp cheese, crumbled
4 scallions, sliced
light sour cream

Mix the cumin, paprika, oregano, chili pepper and salt and rub over the chicken breasts. Put to one side.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the chopped onions and garlic and sauté gently for 2-3 minutes. Put into your slow cooker insert.

Add the carrots, black beans, tomatoes and chicken broth to the onions in your slow cooker and stir well to combine.

Immerse the chicken breasts into the mixture in the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.

When ready to serve, shred the chicken with two forks in the slow cooker.

Line the bottom of your serving bowls with toasted tortilla strips, spoon the hot chicken tortilla soup over the top and squeeze some lime. Add any desired toppings.

Zen Moment

“Every artist was first an amateur.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson