Black Bean Chicken Tortilla Soup

“Good manners: The noise you don't make when you're eating soup.”
- Bennett Cerf

I love chicken tortilla soup, but I could never find just the right combination of ingredients in someone else's recipe.  So when I was pregnant with my son I put my mind to work and decided what I would like to have in chicken tortilla soup:  beans, chicken, and vegetables.  Once that was settled, I got busy in the kitchen.  This does take some time to complete, as do all good soups.  You can make a soup fairly quickly, but the longer they cook the better they tend to taste.

Black Bean Chicken Tortilla Soup

Beans:

1 lb black beans (dried)

4 14oz cans Swanson Chicken Broth

10 c water

Chicken:

1 5lb fryer

canola oil

salt & pepper

Soup:

1 softball sized sweet onion, 1/4" dice or less

3 medium carrots, 1/4" dice or less

3 medium stalks celery, 1/4" dice or less

1 each red/yellow bell pepper, 1/4" dice or less

5 cloves garlic, minced

canola oil

3 Tb lime juice

1 tsp cayenne

1 tsp chili powder

Toppings:

6-10 corn tortillas, cut into 1/4" strips

2 c canola oil

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp chili powder

3/4 tsp cayenne

1/2 tsp salt

8oz Colby-Jack cheese, grated

avocado slices

sour cream

jalapeño slices

salsa

1. Sort and rinse beans.  Soak beans overnight.  Rinse.  Place in large stockpot with chicken broth and water.  Simmer covered until ready to eat (approx 4-6 hours).

2. When beans have been cooking approximately 2 hours, remove giblets from chicken.  Pat chicken dry with paper towels.  Place breast-side up in covered baker (Corning Ware, Pampered Chef, etc).  Rub oil on skin.  Sprinkle with salt/pepper.  Bake covered at 325º until internal temperature of breast reaches 165º (I use a thermometer you leave in the meat while it cooks).

3. After chicken is roasted, remove meat from bones.  Stir meat into beans.

4. Saute vegetables in oil over medium heat until onions begin to turn translucent.

5. Add all vegetables, and lime juice, cayenne, and chili powder to beans.  Stir and simmer while completing crispy tortilla strips for topping.

6. In small saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat (350º - 400º F on candy thermometer) until test corn strip is crispy after 4 minutes.

7.  Mix seasoning (paprika, chili powder, cayenne, salt) in small bowl. 

8. Fry approximately 10 strips per batch for 4 minutes.  Drain on paper towels.  Transfer to bowl.

9. Sprinkle seasoning over crisps and shake bowl to distribute

Serve with Colby-Jack cheese, avocado slices, sour cream, jalapeño slices, salsa, and Mexican cornbread.