Chicken Tortilla Soup

Matthew and I just love the tortilla soup they serve at The Prado restaurant in Balboa Park. Last night we both had a craving for it and I tried to recreate the soup. This recipe is my version, and I think it came out almost as good as the Prado's--perhaps mine is a little thicker. I used leftover grilled chicken, but you can use a rotisserie chicken as well.

INGREDIENTS (about 4 servings)

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 large red bell pepper
• 2 large tomatoes
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed
• 1 medium red onion, peeled and cut into quarters
• 1 can (15oz) low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 corn tortilla, torn into pieces
• Salt and freshly, ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp. Tapatio hot sauce
• 1 cup pre-cooked chicken, chopped
• 1 tbsp. chopped cilantro

FOR TOPPINGS

• Tortilla chips, broken or crushed
• Sour cream
• Cilantro

DIRECTIONS

1. Pre-heat your broiler. You can also use a grill to char your vegetables.
2. Rub about one tablespoon of vegetable oil over all the veggies: red bell pepper, tomatoes, peeled garlic cloves, jalapeno and onion. Distribute the vegetables in sheet pan and generously sprinkle kosher salt and black pepper on them.
   

   Place them directly under the broiler. You want to char the skin on all the veggies. Keep an eye on the veggies as they can get charred very quickly. Keep turning them with tongs to evenly char all sides. The process will take you about 10 minutes.

   
3. Place all the roasted vegetables in a platter and remove the skins from the tomatoes and red bell pepper. You can use your tongs to do this. Cut the tomatoes in quarters. Seed the red bell pepper and cut into chunks. Seed the jalapeno pepper (you do not have to peel it).
4. In a blender, add all the vegetables and any juices from the veggies and puree for 30 seconds.

   Add about 1/3 cup of chicken broth, the dried oregano, cumin, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground, black pepper and puree for 15 seconds more. Add the puree mixture into a 4 or 6-quart pot and heat to medium.

5. Meanwhile, add the drained pinto beans into the blender, the torn tortilla and the remaining chicken stock.
   

   Puree for 30 seconds and add the bean puree into the pot with the veggie puree. Add the pre-cooked chicken and 1 tablespoon of Tapatio sauce.

   

   Stir and cover with a lid. Heat the soup until it simmers, about 10 more minutes.

6. Before serving the soup, add one tablespoon of chopped cilantro and taste the soup and adjust seasoning, if needed.

   

   Ladle soup into big bowls and top with crushed tortilla chips, a dollop of sour cream and a few cilantro leaves. Buen provecho!