Thanks, Doogy. I went a different direction and was VERY pleased with the results:
Chicken Tortilla Soup
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
8 oz. Velveeta process cheese food - cubed
10 oz. can Ro*Tel® tomatoes and chilies
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
Salt and pepper – to taste (
I didn't add any salt, just a bit of fresh ground black pepper)
Flour tortillas – as needed, about 4 - 6
Shredded Colby Jack cheese OR Mexican blend cheese – as needed
In a medium pot, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in small amounts of chicken broth at a time, then whisk in milk. Heat to just under a boil, stirring constantly.
Reduce heat to low and stir in cubed or shredded cheese; stir constantly until melted. Stir in Ro*Tel tomatoes and chilies, chicken and spices. Once soup is thoroughly heated, it is ready to serve at this point. However, if you wish to make tortilla strips, it can sit over low heat while they are prepared, but be sure to stir the soup occasionally.
For homemade tortilla strips, cut tortillas into strips and deep-fry in 350 degree vegetable or peanut oil until golden, then drain on cooling racks.
Spoon a ladleful of soup into a bowl, add a handful of shredded cheese, then spoon another ladleful of soup over cheese. Sprinkle tortilla strips over top. Repeat for remaining servings.
Notes: If you want to save a lot of time, use crumbled tortilla chips instead of making your own tortilla strips. As a substitute for Ro*Tel, try 1-1/2 cups of salsa. Spiciness can be easily adjusted by using spicy Ro*Tel or salsa and/or adding cayenne pepper to the soup.
Based on a recipe found at:
http://recipes.robbiehaf.com
Last edited by Lois Mauk on Wed Jan 30, 2008 1:20 am, edited 1 time in total.