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cafelaWhenever I go back to Auburn, one of my favorite restaurants to visit is Amsterdam Cafe. One of the reasons I go is because they have the best chicken tortilla soup I have ever tasted. I've tried for a long time to make my own tortilla soup that mimics it, and finally hit upon a combination of ingredients based on different assorted recipes that comes pretty close.
It's a lot of ingredients, but the recipe is pretty straightforward. Also, while I don't include them in this recipe, you can add red or black beans to this as well, and probably other vegetables like zucchini or squash, too. I mention the beans because they're in Amsterdam Cafe's Baja soup, but I don't tend to have them on hand, so I leave them out.
I still need to figure out how to create their roasted red pepper mayo (literally the only "mayo" I have ever liked), but having this recipe in my back pocket helps a lot when a craving for Amsterdam's hits me.
Baja Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients:
3 tb oil (any plain vegetable oil works)
1/4 of one vidalia onion, minced
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 smallish Ancho chile/Poblano pepper, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 small tomatoes, diced (or one small can diced tomatoes)
5-6 cups chicken broth (reserve 1/4 c)
2 tb cornstarch
1 10oz can of chicken
1/4 cup corn (I use frozen)
3 tb lime juice
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cayenne/red pepper
1/4 tsp oregano
6 oz mild cheddar cheese, grated/shredded + 2 oz additional cheese for garnish
4 corn tortillas, crushed
1/4-1/2 tsp garlic salt (to taste)
tortilla chips for garnish
Step one--make sure you have a large enough pot. I make this in my 3 1/2 quart dutch oven, and it is only just big enough.
Next--heat the oil in the pot on medium high. Add the onion and chile/pepper and saute until the onion is translucent (about 5 minutes).
Add the garlic, cook for another minute or so, then added the tomatoes. Once they start to simmer, add the chicken broth--how much you add depends on how thick you want your soup. Either way, reserve 1/4 cup and stir the cornstarch into that before adding it to the pot.Stir well. When the soup starts to bubble, turn the heat down to medium.
Next, add your can of chicken, and your corn. Keep in mind that you can always add up to double the amount of chicken and/or corn if you want a heartier soup. Let this get to a simmering point.
Now, add the lime juice and all your spices. If you want a spicier soup, you can bump the cayenne pepper up to 1/2 tsp.
Next, dump in the crushed corn tortillas. This part, as it turns out, is one of the most important steps. It both helps thicken the soup, and adds an important flavor that is noticeable if it's missing. Also, I know you're thinking, ack, I'm going to have chunks of tortilla chips all in my soup! But you won't--the tortillas dissolved surprisingly well, especially if they're mostly crushed going in.
Lastly, add the shredded cheese and stir. Once the cheese has mostly melted, turn the soup to medium low or even just low, and simmer for about 20 minutes.
It's a lot of ingredients, but the recipe is pretty straightforward. Also, while I don't include them in this recipe, you can add red or black beans to this as well, and probably other vegetables like zucchini or squash, too. I mention the beans because they're in Amsterdam Cafe's Baja soup, but I don't tend to have them on hand, so I leave them out.
I still need to figure out how to create their roasted red pepper mayo (literally the only "mayo" I have ever liked), but having this recipe in my back pocket helps a lot when a craving for Amsterdam's hits me.
Baja Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients:
3 tb oil (any plain vegetable oil works)
1/4 of one vidalia onion, minced
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 smallish Ancho chile/Poblano pepper, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 small tomatoes, diced (or one small can diced tomatoes)
5-6 cups chicken broth (reserve 1/4 c)
2 tb cornstarch
1 10oz can of chicken
1/4 cup corn (I use frozen)
3 tb lime juice
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cayenne/red pepper
1/4 tsp oregano
6 oz mild cheddar cheese, grated/shredded + 2 oz additional cheese for garnish
4 corn tortillas, crushed
1/4-1/2 tsp garlic salt (to taste)
tortilla chips for garnish
Step one--make sure you have a large enough pot. I make this in my 3 1/2 quart dutch oven, and it is only just big enough.
Next--heat the oil in the pot on medium high. Add the onion and chile/pepper and saute until the onion is translucent (about 5 minutes).
Add the garlic, cook for another minute or so, then added the tomatoes. Once they start to simmer, add the chicken broth--how much you add depends on how thick you want your soup. Either way, reserve 1/4 cup and stir the cornstarch into that before adding it to the pot.Stir well. When the soup starts to bubble, turn the heat down to medium.
Next, add your can of chicken, and your corn. Keep in mind that you can always add up to double the amount of chicken and/or corn if you want a heartier soup. Let this get to a simmering point.
Now, add the lime juice and all your spices. If you want a spicier soup, you can bump the cayenne pepper up to 1/2 tsp.
Next, dump in the crushed corn tortillas. This part, as it turns out, is one of the most important steps. It both helps thicken the soup, and adds an important flavor that is noticeable if it's missing. Also, I know you're thinking, ack, I'm going to have chunks of tortilla chips all in my soup! But you won't--the tortillas dissolved surprisingly well, especially if they're mostly crushed going in.
Lastly, add the shredded cheese and stir. Once the cheese has mostly melted, turn the soup to medium low or even just low, and simmer for about 20 minutes.
