Julie Quantum Leaps

olive oil

1 onion, chopped

5 stalks celery, chopped

carrots, equal to amount of celery, chopped

1 can stewed tomatoes

1 T chicken broth paste

1 boneless, skinless, chicken breast

chipotle sauce

10 corn tortillas (not chips!)

In stock pot, pour 1-2 T olive oil and cook onion till slightly softened. Add celery & carrots. Add stewed tomatoes and 5 cans of water.  Mix in chicken broth paste to one of the cans of water. Bring to boil over medium heat & cook until vegetables soften.

In a small frying pan, drizzle 1-2 T olive oil. Place chicken breast in and add a little chipotle sauce. How much is up to you. Once the outside is cooked, I take kitchen scissors and cut it up into bite-sized pieces, right in the pan. While the chicken is cooking, prepare the tortillas. Stack them up and cut them in half, the place one half on top of the other so they’re all in one stack. Slice the short way a little over 1/8″ wide.  Once the chicken is cooked through, add it to the soup. Salt to taste. Don’t salt until you’ve added the chicken! The chipotle sauce will flavor and you’ll need less salt.

Don’t rinse the frying pan. Add enough olive oil to cover the bottom. Don’t skimp or the tortillas will stick. Place one tortilla strip in the oil and wait for it to start sizzling. If you add the tortillas before the oil is hot enough, they will absorb all the oil and be a soggy mess. Add all the tortilla strips and cook until crispy. I find using tongs to stir with works best and doesn’t mangle them. You’ll be tempted to stir more than you need to. Again, this will mush them.

Ladel soup into bowls, and place tortillas on top. They sizzle!

Notes:

*I use the little sandblasted carrots. You know, the ones they use for veggie platters. Just cut them in half or 1/4ths. EASY!

*If you have a Costco nearby, get the chicken broth paste. It’s SOO much better than canned or cubed. If you don’t, then just substitute one of the cans of water for a can of chicken broth.

*If you want to make a larger amount, add another can of stewed tomato, so it doesn’t get too watered down. Of course, add more celery and carrots.

*Another time saver is to cook up more than one chicken breast with the chipotle, cut them up and freeze them. Next time, just toss them in the soup!

*Tortillas last for freaking EVER! I just made this last night and the expiration date was well over a month ago, and they were FINE! Good to keep on hand.