Camping Chicken Tortilla Soup

Tortilla Chicken Soup home made
There is nothing like a meal at camp that you can eat hot out of a bowl. This soup is tasty, healthy, and perfect for serving and sharing with a large group (One pot can easily make 8-10 full servings). We have tried many pre-packaged soups, and while they do the job for backpacking meals (and save time and space), their taste was always good but not great. Our traveling these days allows us to pack more convenient cooking items from home in the truck's drawers. You could say we travel with everything except the kitchen sink! With a big pot, a big spoon, and our 2-burner Coleman stove, this meal is worth your prep and cooking time. It is far superior to anything dehydrated or in a heat-and-serve can. Check out all the shortcut notes at the bottom of the recipe, because many of these steps can be eliminated on the road by some work at home ahead of time.

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 2 Tbsp butter or margarine
• 2 cans of chicken broth (14 1/2 oz each)
• 1 can tomato sauce (8 oz)
• 1 can chopped stewed tomatoes (15 oz)
• 1 can black beans (15 oz)
• 1 can diced green chilies (4 oz)
• 1 cup of salsa (hot, medium, or mild to taste)
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 Tbsp ground cumin
• Tortilla chips
• Shredded or cubed Colby-Jack or Mexican blend cheese (optional)
• Sour cream (optional)

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large sauce pot over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and onion; saute until tender.
2. Combine all remaining ingredients except for chips, cheese, and sour cream.
3. Cover; simmer for 20-25 minutes.
4. Just before serving, crumble a few handfuls of tortilla chips into the soup. Serve hot and garnish individual bowls with tortilla chips, cheese, and sour cream as desired.

Shortcuts

• Chop the cooked chicken breasts at home; or buy pre-cooked Foster Farms chicken breast strips to save time; or use Sawnson's canned chicken breast meat (especially nice because this one doesn't require chilling)
• Look for easy to open pull-tab cans of broth, sauce, and veggies.
• A bag of shredded cheese is a must for our family on backcountry adventures. There is nothing like a hot folded flour tortilla with cheese for a quick comfort meal or appetizer. Plus, shredded cheese can easily be sprinkled on soup, chili, or on a sandwich for lunch.
• If you want to cut down on trash, transport the chopped chicken, onion, garlic, cilantro, and cheese in re-usable plastic sandwich containers. They pack easily and can be washed at camp and used to store leftover soup or vegetables.