I married into a family of fine cooks. This recipe comes from my sister-in-law, Roxanna Zalmanek. She makes this soup without carefully measuring the ingredients and promises you can’t mess it up. Use your favorite bottled salsa; that will be the predominant flavor. For years, Pace Chipotle was my favorite. I recently made it using Mateo’s Gourmet Salsa from Costco. It’s very good, a bit spicier than Pace.
You can fry your own tortilla chips, but there’s no shame in using chips from the snack food aisle in your local grocery store. To give store-bought chips that just-cooked flavor and temperature, put them in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds.
Preparation time: 15 minutes Total time: 15 minutes
Specialized Kitchen Utensils
- Food chopper (or knife for dicing garlic)
Serves 2 to 3
Ingredients
- 6 (or more) cloves garlic, diced
- 1/4 to 1/2 onion, diced
- olive oil
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth (or 2 cups)
- 1 cup (or more) rotisserie chicken, diced
- 2 cups salsa
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
- Tortilla chips (or 3 corn tortillas, cut in strips and sautéd in vegetable oil)
- Sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 1/2 avocado, diced (optional)
Directions
Over medium-high heat, sauté onion in olive oil for a few minutes. Add garlic and cook until onion and garlic are slightly browned around the edges. Add chicken broth, chicken, salsa, and lime juice. Cook on low heat for about 10 minutes. Add beaten egg and stir as it cooks.
Heat a handful of chips in the microwave, or if you really want to do things the old-fashioned way, heat oil in frying pan until hot. Fry corn tortillas strips until crispy and golden.
Top soup with tortilla chips, grated cheese, and avocado.
