| Today is your lucky day, my friend! You are about to | | | | - 4 quarts water (divided into 1 and 3) |
| learn to make Chili's famous Chicken Enchilada Soup in | | | | - 2 cups crushed tomatoes |
| your own home. I stumbled upon this recipe two | | | | - 1/2 pound processed American cheese, cubed |
| days ago, made it last night, and the response I got | | | | - 3 pounds cooked chicken, pieced |
| totally inspired me to write this article! | | | | - pico de gallo, mixed cheese shreds, and crunchy |
| This is THE perfect soup. It's perfectly balanced in | | | | tortilla strips, to taste |
| every way a soup can be balanced. Not too mild, not | | | | All of these ingredients are fairly common and |
| too spicy. Not too creamy, not too watery. Not too | | | | available in any grocery store. If your store has a |
| chunky, not too plain. | | | | "Hispanic Foods" aisle, you will find Masa Harina there. |
| The finishing touches of shredded mixed cheese | | | | Fresh pico is recommended over canned or jarred. |
| (monterey jack and cheddar), pico de gallo, and | | | | Tortilla chips will work when home-fried strips are not |
| crunchy tortilla strips make it not only balanced, but | | | | practical. |
| fun to eat. | | | | To make your Chili's Chicken Enchilada Soup: |
| I've been in love with this soup forever. I was | | | | |
| absolutely stoked to come across the recipe. I | | | | 1. Combine oil, chicken base, onion, and spices in a |
| served mine to my wife, our twin 12-year-old | | | | large pot. |
| daughters, a friend/coworker, and two neighbors | | | | 2. Saute until onions are soft and clear, about 5 |
| (yes, the recipe makes A LOT!) Everyone's eyes | | | | minutes. |
| rolled back, closed, and were accompanied by hearty | | | | 3. In a large mixing bowl, combine Masa Harina with 1 |
| utterances of "Mmmmm..." | | | | quart water. Stir until all lumps dissolve. |
| Oh great, now I'm going to have to make it again | | | | 4. Add to sauteed onions, bring to a boil. |
| and again! ;) | | | | 5. Once mixture starts to bubble, continue cooking |
| These are the ingredients I used: | | | | for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. |
| - 1/2 cup vegetable oil | | | | 6. Add remaining 3 quarts of water and crushed |
| - 1/4 cup chicken base | | | | tomatoes. Let mixture return to a boil, stirring |
| - 3 cups diced yellow onions | | | | occasionally. |
| - 2 teaspoons ground cumin | | | | 7. Add American cheese and chicken. Reduce heat |
| - 2 teaspoons chili powder | | | | and simmer to desired consistency. |
| - 2 teaspoons granulated garlic | | | | 8. Serve in large bowls. Top with mixed cheese |
| - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper | | | | shreds, pico, and tortilla strips. |
| - 2 cups Masa Harina (Mexican flour) | | | | 9. Enjoy! |