Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup with Tortilla Strips

At the end of October, it was quite the roller coaster of freezing one day to low 50’s the next. I had been wanting to make soup for weeks. Once I finally had a place I could call my apartment, I got to cooking. the thing was, I still don’t have any of my kitchen stuff except my blender, so I need something that wasn’t too involved, that I could make with what my roommate has for kitchen stuff.  I went through my recipes and found this one for Sweet Potato Tortilla Soup that looked pretty easy and sounded delicious.
I was kind of silly with my order, even though I read the directions through before starting, I did things in a funny order. I forgot or skipped over how long the soup would simmer (40ish minutes) and started the chicken and tortilla strips while working on the soup base. Unnecessary. Start your base, get it simmering, then worry about the chicken and the chips.
I completely forgot about the cilantro, even though I bought it. I am not the biggest fan of it anyway, and left it out each time I warmed up the leftovers. I forgot about the lime in all the leftovers. I didn’t notices any difference… I love the tortilla strips. I may never by a bag of chips again. I made them fresh each time I had a bowl of leftovers. If you don’t feel like making them, you can substitute those from a bag, but they are worth it. Also, this is pretty spicy for those who don’t do spice, so beware. I loved it. But you may want to omit the chili if you don’t do spicy, maybe substitute something milder.
SPS with TC
Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup with Tortilla Strips
6 servings
  • 3 whole allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 chipotle chile in adobo, plus 1 tablespoon of adobo sauce
  • 1 quart high-quality low sodium chicken broth
  • salt
  • 1 to 1/2 lbs of uncooked chicken, cut into 1/2″ pieces (I used breasts)
  • 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 6 corn tortillas
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup corn kernels (thawed if frozen)
  • 2 ripe avocados, peeled, deseeded and cut into 1/2″ dice
  • 2 limes, cut into wedges
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar
  1. In a small, dry skillet (not nonstick), toast allspice, cumin and peppercorns over medium heat, shaking occasionally, until fragrant. Watch this, you don’t want to burn them.
  2. Add the toasted spices to a blender with onion, garlic, chipotles, adobo, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 cup chicken broth. Blend on high power until completely smooth.
  3. In a large pot, combine the purée, the rest of the broth and the diced sweet potato. Bring to a simmer, then cover and let simmer for 45 minutes until the sweet potato is tender.
  4. Preheat the oven to 375. Slice the tortillas into strips, then spread out on a foil-lined baking sheet. Toss with the tiniest bit of olive oil and a generous sprinkle of salt. Bake for 10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until golden brown and crispy. Set aside.
  5. Heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet on medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook until completely cooked through, about 7 to 10 minutes. Set aside.
  6. Once the potatoes are soft, add chicken, black beans and corn to the pot, and let simmer for a couple minutes just to heat through. Check for seasoning and add more salt if necessary.
  7. Divide soup among bowls, and top with sliced avocado, lime wedges, a sprinkle of shredded cheddar and tortilla strips.

Enjoy!