Quick, Low-Salt Chicken Tortilla Soup

Although my ancestry is British and German, I love tortilla soup. Unfortunately, I can’t order it in a restaurant because it contains too much salt. The excess salt makes my ankles swell, which is uncomfortable and dangerous for someone like me who takes blood pressure medication. Can I make tortilla soup at home?

I decided to give it a try and searched through my cookbooks and found several recipes. Next, I did an internet search and found dozens more. The local newspaper also published a recipe. After reading enough recipes to cross my eyes, I combined several recipes and added my own twist.

Tortilla soup is popular in many states. Barbara Hansen describes two versions of California in her “Los Angeles Times” article, “A Bowl of Mexican Soup.” In Mexico City, it starts, the classic soup is chicken broth combined with roasted tomatoes, onion, garlic, chiles, and shredded tortillas. In California, the soup often has a tomato base thickened with ground tortillas or is bean soup with fried tortillas.

“A great tortilla soup can be a revelation,” he writes, “rich with intriguing roasted corn flavor, vibrant with tantalizing, toasty color and aromas.” No one seems to know the origin of the soup, although some speculate that it comes from leftovers.

I wanted a quick version of this Mexican favorite, something with a lot of flavor and just a little bit of salt. My pantry contained most of the ingredients I needed, a can of fire-roasted tomatoes, a can of chopped chiles, and a box of unsalted chicken broth. Authentic recipes always contain coriander, something I don’t like so I left it out. If you like cilantro, add it to the soup.

To my surprise, I found salt-free taco chips in the Mexican section of my grocery store. You can use salty chips if you like. The preparation time of my recipe is 10 minutes maximum. I simmered the soup for 20 minutes, but you can simmer it longer or transfer to a slow cooker. My husband and I had the soup for lunch, but it can easily be turned into a dinner with the addition of salad and flan for dessert.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons of olive oil

14-ounce package chicken tenders

1 medium onion, finely chopped

14.5-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes

32-ounce carton no-salt chicken broth

4-ounce can diced green chiles

1 cup frozen corn

Garlic powder to taste

1 teaspoon low sodium taco seasoning

1/2 teaspoon low sodium salt (can be omitted)

tortilla chips without salt

Grated Cheddar Cheese, made with 2% milk

method

Cut the chicken tenders into bite-sized pieces. Coat the bottom of a soup pot or large saucepan with olive oil. Add the chicken and sauté over medium heat until browned. Add the chopped onions and cook for a minute. With the exception of the tortilla chips, add all the other ingredients. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Serve in bowls and top with crushed Mexican chips. Garnish with lime wedges, chopped avocado, shredded Cheddar cheese, and cilantro if desired. Makes six generous servings.