Monday, November 2, 2015

Chicken Or Rabbit Tortilla Chowder




A while back we went over to our good friends house Steve and Sue Coyne's author of the (I Grow Vegetable's Blog) to spend the day, share a meal and play a somewhat addicting, sometimes annoying, but always entertaining game of 'Pegs & Jokers'. For dinner Sue and Steve served us their variation of this fantastic 'Chicken Tortilla Soup' recipe. Sue happily gave us the basic recipe she had, but of course like all good cooks, they tweaked it to fit their own personal preferences.

Not knowing exactly which additions or substitutions Sue made, I brought the recipe home and tailored it to fit our own personal preferences. The recipe is labeled as a 'Chicken Tortilla Soup' but the reality of it is it is really a 'chowder'. Now a chowder is a soup, that is generally thickened with flour to give it a rich hearty texture. In the case of this recipe as written it uses two thickeners. The first, being the cornstarch that is in the taco seasoning, and the second, is the addition of flour tortilla's which act very similar to dumplings as some pieces will dissolve and thicken the sauce when the are cooked for a while.

I have included two variations of the original recipe that Sue gave me. One is the version which I use to make this chicken or rabbit chowder. The second, is a 'minimalist pantry' version which Includes those ingredients that you should have at a minimum in your pantry. Finally, I have included a picture of the original recipe as given to me by the Coyne's. This chowder goes great with any white or dark meat (chicken, turkey, or rabbit), so if you raise chickens or rabbits like we do, you can make excellent chowders with either.


The Recipe

This recipe is pretty much what I call an 'everybody in the pool' recipe. That is you saute your vegetables and then all the rest of the ingredients get thrown into the stockpot or slow cooker to cook, the tortillas are the one exception here. So you have a couple of options with the tortillas, one you can add them all at the beginning and allow them to cook or breakdown into the soup and act as a thickener. Two, you could add half of the tortillas at the beginning an then add the remaining tortillas 20 – 30 minutes before serving. In this version, half of the tortillas break down and help to thicken the soup while the remaining tortillas add some texture. Lastly, you could add all of the tortillas 20 – 30 minutes before serving. With the third version, the tortillas assume the role more of a 'pasta' or 'dumping' addition, and they will continue to breakdown over time when you reheat the leftovers, if you have any. Personally, I add all of my tortillas during the last 20 – 30 minutes of cooking, but this is a matter of personal preference.

TexMex Chicken/Rabbit Chowder

1 pound chicken thighs or rabbit hind legs, deboned and browned *
1 quart soup base (or 32oz chicken broth)
1 onion, diced
1 can (10oz) tomatoes and chilies
1 can (15oz) corn, drained
1 can (15oz) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 can (15oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 container (8oz) sour cream (add just before serving)
8 flour tortillas, cut into small pieces
½ package taco seasoning
1 tablespoon tomato paste

* If using rabbit or chicken that you have canned from your pantry, then substitute one pint jar for the one pound of deboned chicken or rabbit.

If using chicken thighs, rabbit hindquarters or any bone in meat, you want to debone the meat and then brown it in your sauté pan with a little non-stick cooking spray or olive oil. We are only browning the meat here, you do not have to cook it all the way through. Try and leave the chicken or rabbit in as large of pieces as possible, it makes them easier to brown and you can cut them into bite size pieces before adding them to the soup. Brown all of the meat and set it aside on a plate and allow it you cool while you sauté the onions, and any other additional vegetables you wish to add. If using chicken or rabbit meat you have canned from your pantry, substitute 1 pint jar.



Once you have the meat of your choice browned, add the chopped onion to the sauté pan and cook them just until they are translucent. The moisture in the onions should start to break away any small bits of meat (fond) that has stuck to the bottom of the pan as they release their water. If the onions begin to look dry, add some water one tablespoon at a time. Once the onions are ready, you want to transfer them to your stockpot or slow cooker along with any bits of fond left in the bottom of the pan. You may need to add ¼ cup of water to the sauté pan and take a wooden spoon or plastic utensil to help release all that goodness from the bottom of your sauté pan. It of course goes into the stockpot as well.

Add all of the remaining ingredients (except the sour cream and tortillas) to the stockpot and stir them to combine them throughly before adding the chicken (it just makes it easier this way). Then take your cooled chicken or rabbit and cut it into bite sized pieces and add it to your stockpot or slow cooker.

Stove Top Version

Bring the chowder to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. While the chowder is cooking take your knife or rolling cutter (I use a pizza cutter to cut my tortillas) and cut the tortillas into ½ to 1 inch strips each a half inch long making then resemble small flat noodles. After the chowder has cooked for 30 minutes, add the tortilla pieces and cook for another 20 to 30 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the sour cream just before serving.

Slow Cooker Version

Set your slow cooker on low and cook for 4 to 5 hours. About 30 minutes before it is ready, take your knife or rolling cutter (I use a pizza cutter to cut my tortillas) and cut the tortillas into ½ to 1 inch strips each a half inch long making then resemble small flat noodles. Then add the tortilla pieces and cook for another 20 to 30 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the sour cream just before serving.




Minimalist Pantry Version TexMex Chicken/Rabbit Chowder

4 cups water
3 cans (5oz) cooked chicken packed in water *
1 onion diced
1 can (10oz) tomatoes and chilies
1 can (15oz) corn, drained
1 can (15oz) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 can (15oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 container (8oz) sour cream
8 flour tortillas, cut into small pieces
½ package taco seasoning
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon
1 tablespoon tomato paste

* If using rabbit or chicken that you have canned from your pantry, then substitute one pint jar for the three 5oz cans of commercially canned chicken.

The easiest version of all, saute the onions until translucent in a little olive oil, then put everything (except the sour cream and tortillas) in the stockpot or slow cooker and cook as described above depending on whether you are cooking on the stove or using your slow cooker (crockpot).


Taco Seasoning

The original recipe for this chowder called for using one package of Taco seasoning. You know the type you use to make tacos with. Because you may not have a package on hand, I have included my recipe for making you own taco seasoning to use with this chowder. It is the same recipe that you will find in my article 'Fast Food Tacos, The All-American Mexican Food'.

Taco Seasoning Recipe (Equivalent to 1 package)

2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons beef bouillon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Mix all ingredients together thoroughly. Omit the red pepper flakes if you want a mild taco seasoning. To make a ½ package recipe, simply cut the taco seasoning recipe in half.




Conclusion

This recipe has humble beginnings, originally starting out as an 'open the can and pour it in the pan' style soup. It still shares some of those qualities with the original and besides tasting great, it is quick and easy to make. I made this chowder in my crockpot, because we had work to do on the homestead and throwing it together and setting it on low allowed us to do the chores we needed and have a hot meal ready from when we came in out of the rain. The reality of it is, most of the ingredients are precooked and the soup only needs to be heated for about 45 to 60 minutes before it is ready to be served.

A quick and easy vegetarian version is to substitute yellow or white boiling potatoes for the chicken or rabbit, and add a can of drained black beans, making it more like a traditional potato and corn chowder. BTW, black beans are also a nice addition to this chowder as well. As always, if you have enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends and don't forget to send us a friend request on Facebook and Google+ so that you will not miss out on any of our new articles.


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