CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP DELICIOSO

• 3 Large Chicken Breasts, sauteed in Olive Oil
• Seasoned with: 
• Salt, to taste
• Black Cracked Pepper, to taste
• 1 Tbsp Garlic Powder
• 1 Tbsp Onion Powder
• 2-3 tsp Chili Powder
• 2 tsp Cumin
• 1 Large White Onion, chopped
• 1 lg. can of Roasted Green Chilies, chopped
• 18 oz. of Fresh Salsa (tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, jalapenos and etc...you can make your own if you like, for this round I used my local grocery store's freshly made)
• 4 c. Water

Saute the chicken in Olive Oil, adding in seasonings, followed by the remainder of the ingredients giving a quick stir.  Combine and cook in your pressure cooker according to directions.  I brought mine to a nice, heady steam and let it cook for 10 minutes.  Continue to follow the appropriate directions for cooling down and opening your pressure cooker.

Now as a quick little side note: do not fear the pressure cooker...just read the instruction booklet and do it right.  The pressure cooker is a breeze to use and provides incredible food very quickly in comparison to some other preparation methodologies.  I promise...read your booklet...open a whole new chapter in cooking for yourself.

Continuing...

While pressure cooking the chicken prep the remaining ingredients: 

• 3-4 C. additional Hot Water
• 1 Bunch of Green Onions, chopped, including some of the green tops
• 1/2 of a fresh Green Bell Pepper, finely chopped
• 1 Bunch of Cilantro, coarsely chopped
• 1 Can Cream of Chicken & Mushroom Soup
• 1 8 oz. Block of Cream Cheese, brought to room temperature
• Peel and prepare, 2-3 Avocados, chopped (depending on the size of group you are serving )
• Lime wedges
• Cholula Hot Sauce, or another hot sauce of your preference
• Sour Cream
• Shred 2-3 C. of Monterrey Jack & Cheddar Cheese
• You can also add in chopped tomatoes if you so desire

The timer has gone off and having opened your pressure cooker, gotten a fabulous whiff of exactly what delightfully awaits you inside, add in the additional volume of hot water, green onions and bell pepper, bring your soup back up to a simmer.  Proceed with a hearty pair of tongs and transfer your chicken to your bowl for shredding.  I recently received a KitchenAid as a most welcome and surprising gift and learned from my sister-in-law that for the fastest shred in the West, hook up your ceramic cookie paddle, put your bowl with your cooked chicken breasts in it in place, flip the switch and have shredded chicken in under 20 seconds...really it's more like 12-15. You can do the same thing with cooked beef, but it does take just a little longer than the chicken as it's a heartier meat.

Back to the shred...leave the pot on your heat so that it is simmering.  In a 2 C. Pyrex, add in your Cream of Chicken & Mushroom soup, add in some of your soup liquid, and whisk both together.  Once incorporated, add back into the main pot, stirring to combine.  Next, with the Chicken shredded, add carefully back into your pot and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes or so.  When your time is up, place your cream cheese in your mixing bowl, add in some of the hot soup, keeping it mostly liquid and very little chicken, and thoroughly combine together.  Once combined, turn your heat down and add your cream cheese-soup mixture into the main pot, again, stirring to combine.  Let it cook a few minutes longer, adding in two healthy handfuls of cilantro.

To serve: 

Crush tortilla chips in the bottom of each bowl, ladle in your soup, sprinkle to taste with cheese, then hot sauce, dollop in the sour cream, add the avocados and top with the cilantro. Serve with a lime wedge.  Done.  Don't burn your mouth.  :)

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ADDENDUM FOR THOSE WITHOUT PRESSURE COOKERS: 

You can poach or roast the chicken until tender instead.

For poaching: 

Bring the water to a simmer (not a rollicking boil, or else it will make your chicken tough and eliminate a lot of the flavor), and make it 6-7 cups of water instead of 4. Season as directed, or as preferred. Add the salsa and green chilies about 2/3 of the way through the chicken prep process so it doesn't bleed out all of the flavor. Check the chicken after about 15 minutes to see how it is coming along.  Continue cooking until chicken is tender, which can be upwards of 20-30 minutes depending on how big the chicken pieces are.  Once done, use this broth-liquid mixture for your soup (do not add additional water/broth/stock unless you have ascertained that you have lost enough liquid during the cooking process that you need more), shred the chicken and continue with the remainder of the recipe.

If you are roasting the chicken:  

Prep the casserole or roasting pan with olive oil, place the chicken pieces in, season them including the onions, salsa, green chilies and etc. Add in 3-4 C. of the water and cover with foil. Bake at 350 until the chicken is tender. Check periodically to make sure that your water doesn't cook away. Add additional water as needed. When it's done, add the liquid to a stove top pot and shred the chicken, and then proceed with the rest of the recipe on the stove top. 

Happy cooking! :)

...and think about investing in a nice, medium-grade pressure cooker.  Don't fear the pressure, embrace it.  You'll find it a fantastic kitchen tool.  :)