green chicken tortilla soup

this soup counts as a meal

(Click here for the printer version! And here for the WTC recipe index.)

It is my understanding that there are a lot of people out there who do not believe that soup counts as a meal. And listen, I get it. There are a lot of soups in the world. A vegetable soup with a thin broth? Needs several slices of French bread to go along with it. Tomato soup? Obviously requires a grilled cheese pairing. But this soup? This soup counts as a meal all on its own.

It is chock full (as my Southern mother would say) of ingredients. Salsa verde is one of my favorite hack ingredients — instead of having to chop and sauté onions, garlic, jalapeños, and tomatillos, we just dump in a jar of salsa! Boom. Done.

Perfectly tender shredded chicken cooks right in the soup, flavoring the broth as it cooks. Tender zucchini is in there too. Perfectly wilted kale soaks up all of the soup broth, tastes absolutely delicious, and delivers a massive punch of nutrients. Add crisp pops of corn and crunchy bites of tortilla on top and voila — this soup is delicious.

Some might call this a white chicken chili, but I’m going with “green chicken tortilla soup” because the tortillas and toppings really make this soup sing. I load mine up with sour cream, shredded white cheddar cheese (Trader Joe’s Unexpected Cheddar is the greatest), and extra cilantro. But I won’t blame you if you skip the tortillas and whip up a big batch of cornbread instead.

My mom likes to throw chili parties — she makes a classic ground beef and bean chili (this is a great recipe) and a white chicken chili so that people can choose their own adventure. Hosting a Halloween party next week? Make this soup, make a big toppings bar, and let people go wild

This is a perfect fall meal.

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other things you can do with a jar of salsa verde

Go ahead and buy two jars, you’re gonna want to do one of these things:

1) BAKED SALSA EGGS. Pour 1 1/2 cups of salsa into a small skillet. Warm it up over medium heat. Make 2 to 4 divots in the salsa and crack eggs into the holes. Cover and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, until the whites are set but the yellows are still runny. Top with the same toppings as the tortilla soup — sour cream, tortillas, cilantro, etc.

2) CHICKEN CHILI VERDE. Pour the jar of salsa, 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of chicken thighs, and a big splash of water in a pot. Cover and cook over medium heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until cooked through. Shred with forks and stir into the salsa. Cook uncovered until the sauce around the chicken thickens up.

3) ONE-POT CHEESY RICE AND BEANS. Make this WTC recipe from June! With salsa verde! Yummm. Make it a more filling meal by throwing chicken sausage on top.

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green chicken tortilla soup

Serves 4 to 6