Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

At this point, you’ve probably noticed a trend in our recipes. If we’re not baking, we’re making some variations of stews. Why?

BECAUSE THEY’RE EASY AND GROWN FOLKS HAVE BUSY LIVES — I SAID GOOD DAY!

In all seriousness though, Chicken Tortilla Soup was something I learned how to make early on in our marriage. I wanted to continue to explore the Latinx/South Texas culture I had grown up in and married into. I think this recipe is more of a guide that is meant to be adjusted to your preferences in taste.

WATCH US MAKE IT!

For example, some like to add hatch green chiles and jalapeño for spice. Go for it!

I just didn’t have any laying around…

Chris and I are always low on fiber so I add black beans to the soup as a finisher, but again, that’s just me. I like this recipe because it’s versatile and simple. Most people have the bulk of the ingredients in their pantry and fridge, with the exception of the fixins.

INGREDIENTS.

• 4 Chicken thighs (diced)

• 6 -7 tomatoes (diced)

• 1 onion (diced)

• 2 -3 garlic cloves (minced)

• 1 cup chicken stock

• 1-2 teaspoons Cumin

• Salt & Pepper to taste

FIXINS.

• Corn Tortilla Chips (most are naturally gluten-free, but make sure they’re not made in a facility that also process gluten)

• Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

• Lime

• 1 Can Black Beans

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large bowl, combined diced tomatoes, onion, garlic, chicken stock, cumin, and some salt. Stir until everything is combined.

2. Take your chicken thighs and place them at the bottom of your Instant Pot. Then pour your mixture over the chicken thighs. *

3. Turn your Instant Pot on to Stew, and allow it to pressurize and cook. The overall process should take about 30 - 40 minutes. **

4. Stand back as you release the pressure vent. Once it’s finished venting, remove your chicken from the mixture and change the Instant Pot setting to warm.

5. Shred your chicken thighs, removing the skin and bones and then add it back to your Instant Pot along with Black Beans (if you like beans).

6. Switch your pot to simmer to cook the beans through and salt and pepper to taste, it should take about 5 minutes.

7. Serve hot with your fixins!

*COOKING NOTES

*You can use any chicken pieces, I prefer dark meat for the fat and added flavor. You can also puree the veggie mixture if you like your soup to be less chunky. I just prefer a more “home-style” tortilla soup. Finally, if you want more spice, add some jalapeño or green chilies to your mixture.

**This entire recipe can be done on the stove or in a slow cooker in lieu of an Instant Pot. If you’re doing it in the slow cooker, allow your chicken/juice mixture to cook for at least 4 hours on high. Then continue the recipe as normal. For the stove, allow your chicken juice mixture to cook at a medium simmer for about an hour and then again, continue the recipe.

Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Wonderful Bread Mix Review

I’ve tried Bob’s Red Mill products many times, in fact, they’re a staple of our gluten-free home. One of the first things I miss about having gluten in my life is bread, and thusly, have been on the hunt for gluten-free bread mixes.

I really appreciate that this mix includes everything you need except for your wet ingredients, which are eggs and water. A few other mixes I’ve seen in-stores do not include the yeast, and if you’re considering using a bread mix that probably means you’re not an avid baker and therefore wouldn’t be interested in purchasing a one-time-use product. So, the fact that it’s included in this mixture is a plus.

Watch me test the recipe!

I also appreciate that the instructions are pretty minimal. Throw everything into your mixer, after letting your yeast activate for 10-ish minutes and then mix it to hell. That’s it. The most difficult thing about this mix is the wait time. But that’s just baking in general, it’s a lot of hurry up and wait.

You’ll need to let your batter rise for about an hour, and then it’ll have almost a 90 minute bake time as well. Finally, you should let your loaf cool completely before cutting into it — which takes about another hour. I do not recommend making this when you’re jonesing some bread.

A word of advice, when you’re letting the mix rise I suggest using the water method to create a “very warm” place if you don’t have a sunny window. Put your loaf pan into another vessel and fill that with warm water (I just turn my apartment sink on as hot as it will go) and create a warm bath for your loaf. That seems to work better than trying to use your oven at a low temperature.

All in all, it’s a solid mix and when I’m not baking from scratch, I’ll definitely keep this around. If you’re interested you can purchase it here.

Bake on! - Hallease