Cafe Rio’s Chicken Tortilla Soup- Our version
I got this from a food blog called Family Favorite Recipes. I really liked it, I love soup especially on a cool fall evening. I made a few changes and I didn’t grill my chicken I just put it in the oven. I made Our Best Bites pico de gallo, which I love. I think next time I will double everything because this only made 3 big bowls if you are just having soup.
Ingredients
- 1 lg onion diced ( I used only 1/4)
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- a dash or two of cayenne
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 3 tbsp fresh cilantro finely chopped
- juice of 1/2 a lime
- pepper to taste
- 1 can pinto beans drained and rinsed
- 2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tbsp taco seasoning
- 1 tbsp paprika
- pico de gallo
- 2-3 avocados diced
- 2 cups pepper jack cheese grated (or whatever cheese you like)
- tortilla strips
- cilantro for garnish
- lime wedges for garnish
Instructions
- In a small skillet, sauté onion in 1 tablespoon oil, until onions become slightly soft. Stir in cumin, cayenne and chili powder and sauté an additional minute or two.
- Transfer seasoned onions to a medium-sized sauce pan. Add chicken broth, cilantro, lime juice, pepper and pinto beans to onions and simmer on low-heat for at least 2-3 hours (I'm not sure you need to simmer this long, I did this the first time, but I think 1 hour is enough).
- Combine taco seasoning and paprika. Brush chicken with oil and rub with taco seasoning/paprika mixture.
- Grill chicken over medium-heat until cooked through, turning only once. Remove from grill and shred. (I pounded mine just until they were an even thickness and cooked them in oven on a foil lined baking pan. 375 degrees for 20 minutes)
- In individual bowls layer chicken, about 1/3 c. pico de gallo, 1/3 cup diced avocado, and 1/3 cup pepper jack cheese. Ladle about 1 cup chicken broth directly over the layers. Top with tortilla strips and garnish with cilantro and lime wedges.
Notes
I sautéed my onions in the same pot I was going to simmer soup in, no sense in dirtying another pan. I also just crunched some tortilla chips on top of soup instead of making tortilla strips. My lazy side coming out.