enlightened creamy chicken tortilla soup [instant pot + stovetop]
This one has been in the works for AWHILE, and it’s finally ready!
Based on one of my favorite all-time January soups, Clean Chicken Tortilla, I would say this guy is an alternate that borders on unequivocal improvement. While that version features distinct pieces of cauliflower rice for texture, in my opinion cauliflower is actually best used as a thickening agent: rich in pectin, cauliflower turns into smooth silky luxury when pureed, and while I love it by itself to serve under steaks or beefy stews or fancy French braises, it’s also surprisingly capable of blending invisibly into other foods provided you’re working with a strong and flavorful base. I use it to add fiber and vegetables to my Instant Pot Chile Verde Chili, but here it actually serves a dual purpose, thickening the base the way masa or cornstarch traditionally would—while adding a lot more nutritional value in the process.
The actual process is one of the simplest of my soup recipes, which are pretty low-key to start with. On either the Instant Pot or the Stovetop, you simmer chicken along with most of your flavoring agents. When the chicken is tender, you remove it, and then hit the entire base with a stick blender, giving you a creamy new starting point to add the ingredients you want to see and taste in the final soup. I’ve experimented time and time again with what to add pre- and post-blend, and feel this version best strikes the balance between appealing textures and a base that gets tons of flavor during the cooking process.
The result is a thickish, scoopable soup that plays out what the version at California Pizza Kitchen would be like if it achieved enlightenment.
On post-blend ingredients: I prefer a minimalist chicken tortilla, mostly because I really don’t like corn. However, feel free to experiment with simmerable add-ins after the blending process: drained and rinsed black or pinto beans, more or fewer chiles, chopped roasted red peppers, or if you must, frozen fire-roasted corn. This is a medium-spicy soup for my palate, but go ahead and omit any ingredients you think will be too hot for your taste (specifically the habañero hot sauce)—just know that you may want extra lime juice, as you’ll be missing a bit of the acid.
recipe
A boring non-secret (blended cauliflower) makes for a thickish, scoopable chicken tortilla soup that plays out what the version at California Pizza Kitchen would be like if it achieved enlightenment.
Effortful time: about 10 minutes
Total time: 1 hour for stovetop, 40 minutes for Instant Pot
Makes 6 medium bowls
you need
Pre-blend
3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 of a 28 oz. can diced fire-roasted tomatoes (you’ll use the other half at the end, post-blend)
12 oz. cauliflower, riced is easiest to work with but florets are fine too
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 small onion, peeled and quartered
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 tsp. Mexican oregano (sub regular oregano if that’s what you have)
1/2 tsp. ancho chili powder
1 tbsp. habañero hot sauce, optional—I like it spicy!
2 bay leaves
Chicken broth, depending on method
Instant Pot: 2 cups
Stovetop: 4 cups
Salt and pepper, to taste
Post-blend
Other half of the 28 oz. can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes
2x 5 oz. cans of chopped green chiles
1 lime, juiced
Jack cheese, chopped cilantro, and sliced fresno chiles, for serving
make it
Assemble your soup. In the Instant Pot insert or a medium Dutch oven (4-5qt), place all of the ingredients from the “pre-blend” list. Give them one big stir just to coat everything.
Cook your soup. Depending on which method you’re using, you’ll do one of two things.
Stovetop: heat the pot over medium heat to bring to a boil, then drop to a simmer. Simmer this 45 minutes, or until the chicken thighs are fall-apart tender.
Instant Pot: set the pot to High pressure, 10 minutes, and seal. Natural release 5 minutes, then manually release the rest.
Remove the chicken and bay leaves, then blend your soup base. Using tongs, pull the chicken over to a board—don’t worry if there are some cauliflower bits or herbs on it! Remove the bay leaves and toss them. Now blend your soup: preferably, using a stick blender straight in the pot, heat off. You can also do this in a regular blender, just be careful. Blend until the base is completely creamy and no texture remains.
Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. It should be ultra tender at this stage.
Rebuild the soup. Add your remaining half-can of fire-roasted tomatoes, the two cans of chopped chiles, and the shredded chicken. Return this to a simmer for 5 minutes (use the Sauté-Low function to do this on the Instant Pot) until everything is warmed through.
Serve. Top with chopped cilantro, thin slices of chile peppers, and shredded jack cheese. Best served with tortilla chips. It’s tortilla soup, you know?