Mojo Smoked Chicken Tortilla Soup
By: Matt Farr @farrbecue
Adapted from: Chelsea’s Messy Apron 20-Minute Cheesy Chicken Tortilla Soup
The wife and I always look forward to the season change because it brings a whole new menu of available meals to the table. Since we like to cook seasonally, soups and chilis are normally reserved for fall/winter. We’ve made this recipe a couple of times already this fall, and it’s a real winner – combing smoked chicken breasts with hearty ingredients.
This can be made in 20-30 minutes assuming your chicken is already smoked. We generally smoke big batches (8-10 boneless skinless breasts) rubbed with my buddy Jay’s (@tennessee_mojo_bbq) BBQ Magic rub at a time, then chop and vacuum seal/freeze for a quick protein on a weekday dinner.
The Goods:
2 Cups of chopped, smoked Mojo chicken breasts
½ of a yellow onion, finely diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 can (10 ounces) red enchilada sauce
1 can (10.5 ounces) fire-roasted diced tomatoes with green chilies added in, drained
1 can (15 ounces) chili beans, drained
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 ounces) fire-roasted corn, drained
3 and 1/4 cups chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon smoked Hungarian paprika (regular stuff will work if you can’t find the good stuff)
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 and 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
4 ounces full fat cream cheese, softened for 30 second in the microwave
1 package (8 ounces) sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated – Don’t do pre-shredded
Toppings: tortilla strips, sour cream, fresh lime, cotija cheese, and fresh cilantro
The Equipment:
6 qt Enamel Cast Iron Dutch Oven (Lodge)
The How:
Preheat the Dutch oven over medium high heat, then add a drizzle of olive oil. Add the onion and garlic in and let them cook down, stirring, for a few minutes until the onion starts to become translucent.
Add the enchilada sauce, tomatoes/chilies, chili beans, black beans, corn, and chicken stock to the pot. Stir to combine, crank the heat to high, and add in the cumin, paprika, seasoned salt, black pepper, and chili powder. Stir together and bring to a boil.
Once you’re to a boil, add in the softened cream cheese. Mix together until the cream cheese is fully integrated and not globby.
Add in the freshly shredded cheddar. Mix together until its fully integrated, then add the smoked/chopped chicken.
Serve with your favorite toppings. I like tortilla strips, crumbled cotija, a bit more of Mojo’s BBQ Magic rub, and some fresh, chopped cilantro. The wife likes sour cream to cut through some of the heat.
Mojo Smoked Chicken Tortilla Soup, topped with tortilla strips, crumbled cotija, and fresh cilantro.