Let's yap about navigating anxiety and finding a bit of normal.

Tender rotisserie chicken and an easy enchilada sauce are big players in this incredibly flavorful chicken tortilla soup. It's perfect on a chilly day watching movies or whatever else you do when you're holed up at home, pandemic or not.

white bowl of chicken tortilla soup topped with melting grated monterey jack cheese

The world shut down.

Without a doubt, it's an anxious time. It's difficult for me to adjust to not knowing when we can all get back to our routines. I like to KNOW, man. I like having a plan, with the option to veer off course at any time. As you know, I like choices.

So, yeah. I live best with a mix of planning and free-wheeling each day, but now I only feel like I am free-falling. It's unsettling.

All of this creates a lot of nervous energy for me. How ironic that I have so much energy, and I've achieved next to nothing these past two weeks. All those times I thought, "If I could only have one month at home, I would get ALL THE THINGS done." What's done is my scrolling finger is as toned and trim as it's ever been.

The car is parked.

Today I realized that it's been seven days since I drove my car. Unless I'm out of town on vacation, that never happens. I'm going to need to take it for a spin around the block just to blow the dust out and keep it all lubed and whatnot. Is that correct gearhead lingo? I dunno. I'm making it up as I go.

Doug has driven his car, though. He went to the grocery store over the weekend with a nice list of ingredients for recipes. (Do weekends really exist anymore? What day IS it? I thought someone said it's Blursday.) The goal here was to eat well at home.

And... we're eating.

And, oh, are we eating alright! Good heavens. I had to put on jeans today just to remind myself that they might not fit if I continue down this path (to the refrigerator).

Anyway, I made this soup and felt a little more normal. It's one of my all-time favorites. It packs a Goldilocks amount of heat - not too much, not too little, juuuust right! It's one of the healthier things I've eaten in the quarantine. As a matter of fact, I'm going to get some right now. Shut up, jeans!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

5 from 1 vote

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Servings:

Calories: 267kcal

Ingredients

2 tablespoons canola oil
2 onions chopped
1 tablespoon garlic minced
1 rotisserie chicken fully-cooked
29 ounces petite diced tomatoes
4 ounces canned chopped green chilies
1 recipe Red Enchilada Sauce approx 40 ounces
2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons cornmeal
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 bunch fresh cilantro chopped

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS

pepper jack cheese shredded; omit for dairy free
tortilla chips crushed
avocado diced

Instructions

Prepare Red Enchilada Sauce recipe. Remove from heat.
Remove meat from chicken and place in bowl. Cut into ½" pieces with kitchen shears.
In a large soup pot, sauté onion in oil over medium heat. When onions are translucent, stir in garlic for one minute. Then stir in chicken, tomatoes, chilies, red enchilada sauce, chicken broth, cornmeal, and cayenne. Stir in about ¾ of the chopped cilantro; reserving some for garnish.
Ladle into bowls and top with cheese, tortilla chips, and/or avocado.
Enjoy!

Notes

*NOTE* Being exceptionally careful not to include any bones, I saved the chicken skin, cut it into tiny pieces, and combined it with the gelatin in the bottom of the rotisserie chicken container. I refrigerated it and then used it in Chicken & Rice for Dogs.