Twisted Tortilla Soup

I was in a hurry, and didn’t have the traditional ingredients for a Tortilla Soup. Nevertheless, I really wanted Tortilla Soup. So, I googled a few TS recipes and found the common ingredients and set about my improvisation. (Big thanks to my Grandma Eastman who schooled me in the art of substituting and adding things as you go along.)

Consistency-wise, it's much thicker than your standard TS. It's almost a chili thickness. Very hearty. And if you could see what I am seeing outside my window right now (thick, fat flakes tumbling by the thousands to an already plump blanket on the ground), you'd want a bowl of this right now, too.

This recipe contains a very unusual ingredient, as far as Tortilla Soups go- bleu cheese. I had a tomato gorgonzola soup once that was amazing- and I remembered that as I was rummaging around in the fridge.

What?! You balk. Ewww..huhh…mmm… I wonder how that would taste?

Now, you’re with me. Okay. This was uber easy to make and could easily be done in about 35-40 minutes (mine cooked longer because I was making other things, so it just simmered a while). And, the leftover soup? Just as divine. I’m having some right now.

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Twisted Tortilla Soup Ingredients:

16oz. (1 box) organic, low sodium, no fat chicken stock/broth
16oz. (I didn’t use the whole thing, maybe 2/3rds of it) organic black bean & corn salsa
2-15oz. cans of diced tomato, no salt added- pureed in blender
½ a rotisserie chicken leftover from supper the night before, meat shredded right into pot (only meat, no bones or fat or skin)
4oz. crumbled bleu cheese (I probably only used 2 oz, it was what was left in the container)
1 c. shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
blue corn tortilla chips (as desired)

Instructions:
Put your soup pan on the stove, start the heat up high (or med-high) and once the soup is heated through- then turn it down to a simmer.

Pour stock into your soup pan. Pour the salsa into the soup pan. Pour the pureed tomatoes into the pan. Stir. Shred your chicken (pre-cooked, preferably left-over so this isn’t more of a daunting task than it needs to be) into the pan.

Stir now & then until the soup is nice and hot. If it’ll be a while before you’re ready to sit down, then just put it on simmer. When you’re about 5-10 minutes from sitting down at the table- add your cheeses and stir until dissolved into the soup.

Now, break up some chips and put them in the bottom of the bowl, ladle the soup on top of it, and it’s ready to eat.

Serves about 6, Depending on how popular the soup is.

Diener5 Reviews:
Dad- **** it’s good honey, but it’s soup. It’s good though.
Mom- ***** YUM.
Dylan- *** it’s kind of spicy, but I like it. But it’s spicy.
Daphne- ***** if used as a tool for creating mushy, squishy things, for eating? maybe
Andrea- *** did not find it very fun to play with, for eating? nah. Can I have some more bread?