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on the way to school
Dinnertime might be the most stressful time of the day in my home and Andrew is usually in a Bible study or working with the youth...so we've done something most families cannot do, we've swapped dinner for lunch. This soup makes dinner at lunchtime a snap without taking away any of my extra kids-are-at-preschool-quick-I-need-to-clean time.
Chicken Tortilla Soup takes literally 20 minutes start to finish. At 11:30AM the storm door slams on the little yellow cottage's front door and Andrew walks the two blocks to the kids' Wisconsin Synod Lutheran Preschool. By the time all three of them walk back up the front steps, dandilions in hand, this soup can be on the table.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
1 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 141/2 ounce can chicken broth
1 16 ounce jar salsa mild
3/4 cup water
10 ounces cooked, shredded chicken
(Great for left over chicken. I've even used high grade canned chicken breast in a pinch.)
1 8 3/4 ounce can whole kernel corn
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup crushed tortilla chips
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Heat oil in a saute pan,
saute garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add chicken broth, salsa, and water.
Stir in chicken, corn and cilantro.
Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium low.
Cook, covered for 5 minutes.
Stir in tortilla chips and cheese or let each put in their own.
Thank you Kathy Sicard for this great recipe!
Yes, a trip to Tuscany is preferable, but traveling to Italy through culinary means, I believe is a close second. Maybe that's why I usually feed my family as if we live in an Italian/American Restaurant. :)
Whenever I've traveled to Italy, the most memorable meals have not been the large elaborate ones but oddly enough the end-of-the-trip-we're-out-of-money ones. We collect the pesto and thinly sliced ham at the butcher, the crusty bread from the baker and the cheese at the market, and find a beautiful square to sit down on a stone curb. We rip off hunks of fresh bread, our fingers digging into the soft interior and dip it into the oily pesto, chunky with pinenuts. We might chat about that day's museum or just watch the beautiful Italian people gesticulating wildly as they walk by.
This is a meal we can easily remake at home. To make it simple, I spread pesto on croissants or whole wheat subs (as it was this last Wednesday), layer the ham, add some provolone, wrap the whole sandwich in foil and stick it in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. With a croissant, I often roast it open faced without the cheese and add toasted walnuts. Easy...and the meal comes complete with sun-drenched memories.
