In high school, I had a bit of an obsession with tortilla soup. It was a very focused obsession: one tortilla soup, one restaurant (which is kind of a feat considering the place I grew up, a small island near Seattle, has three Mexican restaurants). This tortilla soup, at Casa Rojas, with its chicken, strings of melted cheese, avocado slices, and flavorful broth, had me in its grasp for a while.
But then I moved out and went to college, graduated, moved back home, then out again to Seattle, and tortilla soup never came up. The last time I went to Casa Rojas, which was something like five years ago, my friends and I got burritos that were inexplicably filled with peas. I probably don’t have to tell you that peas did not go down well in these burritos. It occurs to me now that, even though it was a hot summer day, I should have ordered the tortilla soup. But like I said, it had fallen off the radar.
And then, when tortilla soup was as far from my mind as it could be, it returned to my life. As I flipped through one of my notebooks of recipes clipped from here and there, I saw one for tortilla soup. Suddenly, the memory for the soup flooded back, followed by the craving to have it as soon as I could. But I didn’t want to get on the ferry and go to Casa Rojas; goodness knows they’ve started putting peas in the soup, too. Instead, I wanted to make it myself. I know it’s a gamble to try to replicate a favorite restaurant dish in a home kitchen, especially when you haven’t had it in many years, allowing plenty of time for its deliciousness to build up in your memory.
Obviously, that didn’t stop me, and what I ended up with is, I think, even better than what I started with. I could easily replicate everything I loved about the restaurant’s soup. And this is one of the easiest soups I have ever made. There’s really nothing stopping me from making this as often as I please, and especially now, with winter’s end still a ways off, it’s absolutely necessary. I made only a few slight changes to the recipe, including keeping the tortilla chips whole instead of crushing them. I like the whole chips poking out of the broth and soaking it up, delicious even when they’re a little soggy. Somehow, that still works.
One reason I think this soup tastes even better to me than the version from the past is that I’m in a better, happier place. Life’s just more fun now, and after all, those past times are only going to get further away. Best to find new ways to enjoy the present.
Tortilla Soup
Adapted from Cooking Light
A little olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups chicken broth
About 1 ½ pounds chicken breast, cut into 1-inch strips
1 cup water
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes (do not drain)
Tortilla chips
Grated cheddar cheese, for garnish
Chopped cilantro, for garnish
Avocado wedges, for garnish
- Heat a little olive oil in a large saucepan or pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the broth, chicken pieces, water, chili powder, cumin, and diced tomatoes with their liquid. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and let simmer 15 minutes.
- Ladle the soup into bowls (make sure to leave room for all the garnishes!). Place a large handful of tortilla chips in the soup (adjust the amount to fit your preference and the size of the bowls). Garnish with cheese, chopped cilantro, and avocado wedges.
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