One Pot Tortilla-Style Coconut Chicken Soup

It's the most wonderful time of the year! And no, I don't mean the holidays (they're fine). I mean DUTCH OVEN season.

My enameled cast iron dutch oven is one of my most prized kitchen items, especially in the cold months. My reasons: 

1. It lasts *forever.* I got mine five or six years ago and even though it looks worn in, it still functions just as well as the day I got it. And I use it A LOT.
2. It's naturally non-stick, but still gets an incredible sear because of the heavy bottom.
3. It's multi-purpose. I use it for soups, stews, braised meats, pastas, literally whatever. It also bakes bread beautifully.
4. There is nothing on this earth more convenient than a one-pot meal, and dutch ovens are one-pot meal royalty.
5. Nothing says "cozy" more than standing over a heavy pot, cooking up something piping hot and nourishing while your kitchen smells like heaven. Some of my favorite, most lasting food memories have been created around my dutch oven, or dutch ovens in general.

If you don't have a dutch oven yet, I HIGHLY recommend you invest now or tell Santa (or whatever you call your aunt) to put it on your gift list, because it will be the real MVP when you're staying at home this winter. I use a Lodge brand 6 qt., which at less than $100 (sometimes less than $75!) is an incredibly good value for its durability.

I digress. The moral of this very long introduction is... Get your hands on a dutch oven, and then make this soup.

This recipe is a (heavy) adaptation of one of my favorite soups - tortilla soup. I frequently make or order tortilla soup when the weather turns colder, because it's comforting, filling, and satisfying. A traditional tortilla soup is made with a roasted tomato and chili broth and then topped with homemade tortilla strips. This recipe came about because recently, tomatoes and I have been in an on-again/off-again relationship. Sadly, I've been struggling with a sensitive tummy, and had to cut out tomatoes and tomato sauce for a while. I've been reintroducing them slowly, but am still trying to be judicious about my intake. 

I don't know what I did to the gods for my stomach to turn on me in this way - because tomatoes are my favorite! Was I too gluttonous with tomatoes in August? Was it that thing I said about canned tomatoes with basil? (Hot take? Basil-less is SO much better) - the jury is still out. 

Anyhoo. Long story short, I was craving tortilla soup, but wanted to quell my craving without tomatoes.  

In this soup, there is a little bit of heat from jalapeños and a dash of chili powder, a slight acidity from fresh lime juice, and coconut milk to balance it out while contributing good, filling fats. On top, avocado brings additional creaminess, with fresh cilantro adding a nice punch. Crumbled blue corn chips take the place of homemade tortilla strips for ease (although, homemade are quite easy to make as well). As they sit in the soup, the chips soak up the flavor (and add their own!) but never quite lose their crunch. *chef's kiss* 

The Peppers

If you are sensitive to heat, feel free to use half of a jalapeño or omit it altogether and just use the green bell pepper.

The Broth/Chicken

One of the reasons I LOVE this recipe is because the broth makes itself! This method of making chicken soup is not only easy and flavorful, it's cheaper, since you don't have to buy your chicken and broth separately. For one pot chicken soups like this, I prefer to use bone-in chicken thighs for maximum flavor. You can buy them boneless and/or skinless, but this may reduce the flavor. Bones and skin will create a richer broth, and you can always skim the fat off at the end to your liking.

Make it Meatless

This recipe is easily adaptable! To make it vegan, start by omitting the chicken and use a plant based broth instead of water. I highly recommend this No-Chicken Broth by Imagine Foods, which has a richer and more convincing flavor than many store-bought vegetable broths. You can also mix some "no chicken" bouillon with water. I also recommend adding canned white or black beans or some shredded, sauteed jackfruit at the end.

Happy soup season! *This post contains affiliate links.*[tasty-recipe id="2624"]