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savory roasted hatch green chile tortilla soup in patterned bowls
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Roasted Hatch Green Chile Tortilla Soup 

Roasted Hatch Green Chile Tortilla Soup is warming and delicious any time of the year, but especially when Olathe corn and Hatch Green Chiles are in season. These ingredients make it a favorite late-summer meal in Colorado. 
Course Dinner, Main Dish
Cuisine Mexican-American
Keyword bean soup, easy recipe, Instant Pot, meat option, Mexican cuisine, taco soup, tortilla soup, vegan option
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings 8 servings
Author Beth of A Meal In Mind

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast from rotisserie chicken OR cooked as in instructions for the meat option
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt optional if your taco seasoning is salt-free
  • 1-2 teaspoons taco seasoning see the recipe for two blends here
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 1 cup chopped white onion ¼-inch dice
  • ¾ cup chopped red bell pepper ¼-inch dice
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic about 4-5 cloves
  • 2 ½ teaspoons cumin powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • ¼ cup or more Frontera carne asada sauce see note (less spicy than barbacoa) or make your own sauce with 3 tablespoons worcestershire (not the Asian type, see note) sauce, 2 teaspoons lime juice, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ cup or more! seeded and chopped local Hatch chiles, mild or to taste
  • 1 cup corn kernels fresh, canned or frozen, about 2 ears of fresh corn
  • 14.5- ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes undrained
  • 5 cups unsalted vegetable stock for vegan version or chicken stock, or bone broth
  • 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano or 2 tablespoons fresh
  • 1 cup corn tortilla chips or strips
  • 1 cup dry beans cooked to about 2 ½ cups or 2 14-ounce cans of cooked black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice or to taste; may not need it
  • ¼ cup cilantro leaves for garnish; slices of jalapeno, radish, lime slices, sour cream and more corn chips

Instructions

  • If serving with meat: 
  • Lightly season chicken breasts on both sides with Taco seasoning (I don’t add any salt or pepper at this stage). 
  • Place chicken breasts in a single layer in the Instant Pot. Pour ¼ cup water into the Instant Pot without washing any of the seasonings off the chicken pieces. 
  • Slow-cook on the medium setting until the internal temperature reaches 160F, 3 to 4 hours. The chicken cooks more quickly and evenly when I slow-cook it in the Instant Pot, perhaps because it has a tighter seal than my crock pot. Of course, you can pressure-cook the chicken in the Instant Pot as well if you are short of time and you've had good success with it that way.
  • Transfer chicken to a clean plate and use two forks to shred into smaller pieces once cooled, reserve. 
  • NOTE: If you are not making this for vegetarians or vegans, reserve the broth to add to the soup. If you are, reserve the broth for another use and wash the pot well. 

For a vegan base:

  • In the Instant Pot over medium saute setting, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
  • Once the oil is hot, add the onions and saute for 1 minute. Add the bell peppers and saute for about 1 minute more. Stir in the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 more minute. 
  • Add the cumin, coriander, and chili powder, continuously stirring for 30 seconds to bring out the flavor of the spices and flavor the oil. 
  • Add tomato paste and saute for 1 minute to bring out the tomato flavor.
  • Add your carne asada sauce (purchased or homemade) and stir well.
  • Add Hatch chiles, corn, fire-roasted tomatoes, stock, oregano, salt, and 1 cup tortilla strips, stir to combine.
  • Place the cover on the Instant Pot and set for 10 minutes on the soup setting at low pressure. Let the pressure come down naturally for 10 minutes, then release pressure manually. 
  • Add the cooked beans.
  • Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer until it is as thick as you like. I might mash some of the beans to thicken, but I usually don’t need to as the corn chips thicken the soup a lot. 
  • Stir in more lime juice or Worcestershire if needed, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as desired. 
  • Serve the soup with favorite toppings: avocado, sour cream/yogurt, cilantro, extra tortilla chips.
  • Place the pulled chicken on the side for anyone who wishes it. 

Notes

There are several types of Worcestershire sauce, and I have both in my cupboards. The Wan Ja Shan (Asian) and Annies both make a vegan Worcestershire. The Wan Ja Shan is sweeter, and I prefer the Annie's. If you are not making this for vegans, or if you have pescatarians, the conventional worcestershire with its anchovies adds a lot of flavor.
Taco seasoning. See my homemade recipe here! If you want something spicier, either add more cayenne or try my Cajun seasoning blend. 
We love the flavor of Frontera’s sauces. Recently, however, we have decided to stop eating canola oil (because of its GMO content and recommendations not to use it in cooking), which those sauces contain, so now use our homemade mixture instead.