The BEST soup for a cold!

It seems lots of people have come down with a head cold this past week!  Thanks to those of you who helped spread it our way.  Being the good person that I am, I'll give you my antidote: a light and refreshing, yet dark and rich, chicken tortilla soup.  An elixir, if you will.  With a bit of chili for aiding the nasal passages, lime for counteracting congestion, and some chard for its superb phytonutrient, anti-inflammatory and antioxident properties, this tortilla soup definitely has what any doctor could order.  Store bought stock?  Blech!  It just isn't the same.  Make your own stock -- it's easy to do, much healthier for you, way tastier, and it can be done in an hour, tops!

Tips and hints are in green.

STOCK:

• 1 whole chicken, ~3-4lbs, rinsed
• flavors: 1 med. onion, handful of leek greens, 2-3 carrots, 2 celery stalks...all coarsely chopped
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
• tbsp coriander seeds
• tbsp cumin seeds
• tsp peppercorns
• sprigs of parsley, thyme...

In a large pot, cover chicken with 6-7 cups cold water.  Bring to a high simmer, and skim the fat/foam that floats to the top along the way.  Skimming will take several rounds before you're done.  It's okay if the pot comes to a low boil, but try to keep it as close to a simmer as possible.  This helps keep the stock clear.

Once skimming is complete, add the vegetables, spices and herbs.  Bring the pot to a low boil, then reduce heat to low simmer.  Cover, and cook for ~40 minutes.  You'll know your chicken is perfectly cooked when tugging on a leg results in the bone easily yielding to your pull. Once ready, lift the chicken out of the pot and set into a large bowl to cool slightly.

Prep the following for the soup and garnishes while the chicken simmers!

SOUP:

• 2 large dried guajillo chili peppers (truly, you could use any dried chili pepper here) 
• 1 large onion, diced or slivered, whichever you prefer
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2-3 tomatoes, chopped, seeds okay (green zebras were used here, but any kind is fine)
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp dried mexican seasoning (Herb Farmacy's includes basil, oregano, cilantro, parsley, chili pepper and rosemary)
• 1 bunch fresh chard, chopped, any variety, stems reserved for another use

GARNISHES

• 1/4-1/2 small red cabbage, core removed and thinly shredded
• handful of fresh cilantro, chopped or minced, whichever you prefer
• avocado, diced and drenched in fresh lime juice
• tortilla chips* (best quality you can buy--Green Mountain's are excellent)



Look for Guajillo chili peppers that are glossy and deep red. They're considered one of Mexico's most common and popular chiles. Mild to moderately hot, they're ranked as having 2500-5000 Scoville units. You can either pan fry (dry pan) or soak them in warm water to soften. Then simply pull off the stems, remove their seeds, and chop accordingly for use.

In a large soup pot or dutch oven, over med-high heat, heat the peppers (no oil), pressing down on them with the back of a wooden spoon so that all sides make contact with the pot.  They'll soon darken and soften.  Remove from pot once they're soft and set aside.

Add a glug of evoo to the pot and saute the onions until translucent and softened.  Add garlic and saute until just fragrant.  Add tomatoes, then stir in salt and mexican seasonings.  By now your stock should be ready.  Add 6 cups stock (set a fine mesh strainer over the edge of the soup pot, into which you can ladle your stock straight from the chicken pot while catching the solids).

Bring soup to a boil, then reduce to simmer.  Cook until tomatoes are thoroughly broken down, ~8-10 minutes.  Pull chicken meat off bones while tomatoes cook.

Add chopped chard, cook for 3-4 minutes.  Remove the stems and seeds from the peppers while chard cooks; chop and add to soup.  Add pulled chicken meat.  Check for seasoning!

Garnish with all the goodies you prepped and serve with a wedge of lime and a few chips.  YUM!
*Homemade tortilla strips are super easy, but not necessarily convenient when dealing with a cold.  To make your own, simply slice flour tortillas into strips and fry in a bit of peanut or canola oil until golden brown.  Drain on paper toweling and sprinkle with salt.  It's worth the effort when you have the time, as they do put a soup like this one into another whole category....

Chicken tortilla soup: comfort food indeed!