Shrimp Tortilla Soup

Yesterday was mostly cold and rainy. On a day like that, there's nothing better than a hot bowl of soup.

I was looking for something quick, with few ingredients, that wouldn't make a huge batch. I ended up making Shrimp Tortilla Soup from the most recent Everyday Food. The recipe claims it's a 10 minute soup and it's true — it cooks for about 10 minutes. Somehow, though, with prep included it took me longer.

Even so, it was finished faster than I could order takeout.

I really liked using shrimp in a tortilla soup. I usually use chicken and this was a nice change of pace. And like all tortilla soups, it's less about the soup itself and more about the toppings. I usually prefer to top mine with fresh cilantro, avocado, sour cream, lime, and homemade tortilla strips. Unfortunately I was out of most of that. I did have avocado and tortilla chips.. which still worked. My only complaint was that it calls for way more broth than I liked. The recipe actually calls for 1.75 cups for just one serving. I reduced it in the recipe below.

This is a super healthy soup low in fat and calories — perfect for last night's dinner considering the foodfest I had the week before. The soup itself is just shrimp, corn, onion, garlic, broth and a chipotle chili, you really just need to keep an eye on the toppings. Especially the avocado. It's a healthy fat, but can add up pretty quick.

Shrimp Tortilla Soup
Adapted from Everyday Food

2 corn tortillas
canola oil cooking spray
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 chipotle in adobo, minced
3 cups of chicken broth
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
8 oz. shrimp, peeled and deveined

Preheat the oven to 350°. Cut tortillas into strips, spread on a baking sheet, spray with canola oil and bake about 10 minutes until brown and crispy.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium saucepan. Add onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add chipotle chile and cook for 30 seconds.

Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add frozen corn, reduce heat, and simmer until tender, about 1 minute. Add the shrimp and simmer until shrimp is cooked through, about 2 minutes.

Optional toppings: sour cream, avocado, lime, cilantro

Nutritional information: 380 calories, 8 grams of fat, 6 grams of fiber