Today, I’m sharing a recipe from local cookbook author Sarah Waldman’s new book, Feeding a Family: A Real-Life Plan for Making Dinner Work, along with a giveaway for a signed cookbook just for you! Read on to get this recipe for the best Chicken Tortilla Soup as well as a preview to her gorgeous cookbook, in stores April 11th. 

Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe

Winters in New England are no joke. Granted, this one has been quite mild (note that the moment this goes live, we’ll be under a snowstorm and endless inches of the powdery stuff, but let’s pretend, shall we?). Mild meaning temperatures in the 30s, which to this Caribbean girl means endless pots of simmering soup on the stovetop. When I heard Sarah Waldman, author of the namesake blog as well, was coming out with a new book, I knew I needed to get my hands on it. Sarah, a talented food writer, mother of two, and all around pretty awesome chick living on Martha’s Vineyard.

Her book, Feeding a Family: A Real-Life Plan for Making Dinner Workis just that. A master plan to get dinner on the table every day and not just any dinner, but a meal with even dessert some nights! I don’t have experience being a mom, but I know how important it is to sit down for dinner as a family of two as well. Granted, I can get away with leftovers some nights, but ideally, making dinner together…brings us together. And that’s what Sarah tries to achieve in this new book, a way to present recipes that make sense, that are simple enough for weeknights when 6pm appears out of nowhere.

Feeding a Family book

The book not only shares Sarah’s recipes, but recipes from close family friends, like this Chicken Tortilla Soup by Ashleigh Moriarty. Followed by an easy recipe for churros made from pre-made puff pastry dough, it’s a meal I can get behind, whether I’m serving 2 or 12.

It’s also a guidebook for those that are making dinner for smaller children. Whether it’s a 9 month old or a pre-teen, she notes when and where the kids can help during the recipe and how to adapt them to the different ages. Like this chicken soup recipe, she suggests reducing the jalapeño and blending the soup with extra avocado for a creamy consistency, easier for younger kids to eat. It’s tips and tricks like that, ones that make sense and don’t take too much extra time. She’s smart, that Sarah Waldman.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Not only is she smart, but she knows food. Whether it’s a recipe for Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken or Chocolate, Peanut Butters and Date Truffles, she covers all the bases. She’s not feeding you “kid-friendly” recipes, but adult recipes that are suitable for kids. Feeding a Family: A Real-Life Plan for Making Dinner Work is a book I recommend wholeheartedly 100% and one I plan on buying for my friends with little ones.

Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe

Photography by Stacey Rupolo / Recipe by Ashleigh Moriarty via Sarah Waldman

Feeding a Family: Chicken Tortilla Soup

Print Recipe
Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe
Prep Time:1 day
Cook Time:30 minutes
Total Time:1 day 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 medium yellow onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • ½ t 1 jalapeño pepper seeds and membranes removed
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • One 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon plus a pinch of kosher salt divided
  • 6 cups Slow-Cooker Chicken Stock recipe follows or low-sodium chicken broth
  • 4 cups shredded chicken from a 4 to 5-pound roasted chicken
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 8 small corn tortillas

SLOW-COOKER CHICKEN STOCK

  • One 4 to 5-pound chicken roasted, meat removed
  • 2 celery ribs
  • 2 carrots
  • 2 medium onions halved
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Big pinch of kosher salt
  • Small handful herbs of your choice such as parsley or thyme, optional

TOPPINGS

  • Sour cream
  • Lime wedges
  • Chopped cilantro
  • Sliced avocado
  • Hot sauce

Instructions

  • To make the stock, place the chicken carcass, celery, carrots, onions, and bay leaves in a 6-quart slow cooker. Add the salt and any herbs you have on hand, such as parsley or thyme. Cover with water and cook on low for at least 8 and up to 24 hours. Using a ne-mesh sieve or strainer lined with cheesecloth, strain the nished stock into a large pot.
  • When you’re ready to make the soup, preheat the oven to 375°F. In food processor, whiz the onion, garlic, and jalapeño into a paste.
  • Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in large soup pot over medium heat and sauté the onion mixture until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes, 1 teaspoon of the salt, the broth, shredded chicken, and lime juice. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes or un- til everything is heated through.
  • Slice the corn tortillas into 1⁄4-inch-thick strips (this is easy with a pizza cutter). In a large bowl, toss the tortilla strips with the remaining 1 ta- blespoon of oil and the remaining pinch of salt, then arrange them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast the tortilla strips in the oven until crisp, about 10 minutes. To serve, place some tortilla strips in the bottom of each bowl, ladle the soup over the top, and pile on the toppings.
Servings: 4 -6 servings
Author: Ashleigh Moriarty via Sarah Waldman

DID YOU TRY THIS RECIPE? I want to see it! Follow Cooking with Books on Instagram, take a photo, and tag me in it. I love to know what you are making and how you made this recipe your own!

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13 Comments

  1. We have family dinner night and there always has to be hot and spicy chicken.

  2. My favorite meal to make is spaghetti, sauce, and meatballs!

  3. I like making Chicken Florentine.