Simmered summer tortilla soup

After what has felt like a thousand days of gray, the sunshine has finally returned to Portland. Summer break and graduation are just around the corner, and it’s time to whip out some of our favorite backyard party recipes.

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Poblano or Anaheim pepper, seeded and diced

1 or 2 jalepenos, seeded, deveined and finely diced

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 (14-oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained (try Rotel)

1 (15-oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

4 cups chicken broth

2 medium chicken breasts, whole

1 cup corn kernels, canned or fresh

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

2 tbsp lime juice

1/2 cup sharp cheddar or Monterey jack cheese, shredded

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

1 avocado, pitted and sliced

4 corn tortillas, sliced into small strips

Cooking spray

Sriracha (optional)

This simmered summer tortilla soup is a true crowd-pleaser and easy to make despite its complex flavor profile.

On a hot day, the first thing we want to reach for is cold food, but frostier food actually causes our bodies to react by raising our internal temperature to compensate, making us feel hotter.

So dig into the spice this summer, and you’ll find you experience much cooler results—isn’t science grand?

If you’re short on time or don’t want to heat up your house with an oven, skip toasting the tortillas yourself and reach for a bag of crispy corn tortilla strips from the market.

Want to make this dish vegetarian? Replace the chicken with an extra can of black beans and one can of garbanzo beans. For a cool kick, top with sour cream.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large pot, saute onion in olive oil over medium heat for 3 minutes until it begins to soften. Add garlic, poblano and jalepeno peppers and saute another 2 minutes. Add cumin, cayenne, paprika, oregano, diced tomatoes with chilies (undrained), black beans and chicken broth, then bring to a boil.

Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and add whole chicken breasts and corn. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes until chicken has cooked through. While chicken cooks, place corn tortilla strips on a pan and coat lightly with cooking spray. Bake for 12 minutes, stirring once during baking, until strips are crisped.

Remove breasts carefully with a slotted spoon and set aside until cool enough to handle and shred with a fork. Return shredded chicken to pot and add salt and pepper to taste, lime juice and 1/4 cup cilantro leaves.

Serve garnished with shredded cheese, avocado, cilantro leaves, tortilla strips and Sriracha hot sauce as desired.