"warm" soup and good friends!

I had a hankering for making something new tonight and decided to try a tortilla soup recipe I came across in one of my recipe books. I got so far as starting the first step of boiling the chicken when my cell phone jingled. It was Jessica wondering if we would like to come downstairs {she's also our neighbor} and have some homemade "Why-the-Chicken-Crossed-the-Road Santa Fe" soup! Yummy! I had forgotten that she was planning to make it this weekend and told her that I had JUST started making tortilla soup...was Why-the-Chicken-Crossed-the-Road Santa Fe soup like tortilla soup? Yep...it is tortilla soup Ashley! OH! sweet...dinner sure was easy to make tonight and full of good company!!

The soup was tasty! A bit warm...I won't be adding as many peppers because I'm a wimp. Check out the recipe for yourself...I think it will be a new Crim favorite! I was so impressed...I would have tossed in a can of corn...Jessica bought ears of corn, grilled them and cut it off the cob...impressive! Be sure and note below...1 or 2 adobo peppers...NOT 1 or 2 CANS of adobo peppers...umm multiple cans make it hot!!! Thanks so much for dinner ma'am!!!
Why-the-Chicken-Crossed-the-Road Santa Fe-Tastic Tortilla Soup
Vegetable or corn oil, for drizzling, plus 2 tablespoons -- 2 turns of the pot in a slow stream
3 ears corn on the cob or 2 ears fresh-frozen cobs, defrosted
1 red bell pepper, split and seeded
1 pound chicken breast tenders
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning, 1/3 palm full
1 teaspoon cumin, 1/3 palm full
Salt and pepper
1 small to medium zucchini, small dice
1 medium yellow skinned onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 to 2 chipotle in adobo peppers (medium to hot heat level), chopped -- available in small cans in Mexican and Spanish food section of market
1 can stewed tomatoes, 28 ounces
1 can tomato sauce, 8 ounces
3 cups chicken stock, available in re-sealable paper containers on soup aisle
4 cups blue corn tortilla chips, broken up into large pieces
1 cup shredded cheddar or pepper Jack cheese
1/2 cup sour cream

Optional garnishes:
1/4 red raw onion, chopped
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro or parsley leaves
1 ripe avocado, diced and dressed with the juice of 1/2 lemon

Heat a grill pan to high and a soup pot to medium high. Drizzle oil on corn and place on grill. Add red pepper to grill with corn. Char vegetables 10 minutes, total, turning occasionally. Remove to cool, 5 minutes. Remove charred skin from the pepper.

While vegetables cook, dice chicken. Add 2 tablespoons oil to hot soup pot. Add chicken to pot. Season with poultry seasoning, cumin, salt and pepper. Lightly brown chicken on each side. Add zucchini, onions and garlic and chipotle peppers. Cook vegetables with chicken 5 to 7 minutes to soften. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and stock. Bring soup to a bubble, reduce heat to medium low.

Scrape corn off cob and add to soup. Chop grilled red pepper and stir into soup. Add chips to soup in handfuls and fold in. Serve soup immediately with scatter of shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream. Top with any or all of the suggested garnishes.

{ Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray...introduction of recipe courtesy of Jessica C.! }