Chicken, Chorizo and Tortilla Soup

It's nice to know that when I'm drawing a blank on what to fix for dinner, I can usually count on Rachael Ray to give me a little inspiration. I'm not particularly a fan of her shows, though I do watch them sometimes. But I love, Love, LOVE her cookbooks. I think I have them all and while most of my other cookbooks have been banned from the kitchen for taking too much space, seven of the 13 cookbooks I've allowed to stay are Rachael Ray's.

After another hectic day, I was looking for a recipe to use up some chorizo I had in the fridge. Chicken, Chorizo and Tortilla Stoup sounded like a perfect solution. The soup/stew was easy to prepare and done within 30 minutes and it was much more filling than I expected. When I make my usual tortilla soup recipe I can't stop myself from having two bowls. After this dish, dh and I were both stuffed. The addition of the beans and potatoes really makes it much heartier. Definitely a great dish for a chilly autumn night. A little too spicy for the kids but perfect for the adults. Another keeper. Thanks Rachael!

Since I've had this one bookmarked for awhile over at the Food Network site, this will be my contribution to this week's Bookmarked Recipes event over at Ruth's Kitchen Experiments. Check out this link to see all the yummy recipes from last week's event, hosted by Heart and Hearth. And since Ruth is still on vacation, Pam over at Sidewalk Shoes will be hosting this week.

Chicken, Chorizo and Tortilla Stoup
Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray

1 pound chicken tenders
Salt and pepper
3/4 pound chorizo sausage, in packaged meats case near kielbasa
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
6 small red potatoes, diced
1 (15-ounce) can fire roasted chopped tomatoes (recommended: Muir Glen)
1 (15-ounce) can dark red kidney beans, drained
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1 quart chicken stock
1 sack red or blue corn tortilla chips
2 cups shredded pepper jack or smoked Cheddar
Suggested garnishes: chopped scallions, chopped cilantro or fresh thyme leaves

Preheat medium soup pot over medium-high heat.

Chop tenders into bite-size pieces. Wash up, then season chicken with salt and pepper. Dice chorizo. Add extra-virgin olive oil and chicken to pot. Lightly brown chicken 2 minutes, then add the chorizo and garlic. Cook another 2 to 3 minutes, then add peppers, onions and potatoes. Cook 5 minutes, then stir in tomatoes, kidney beans, and hot sauce. Add chicken stock and bring soup to a bubble.

Preheat broiler.

Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender 10 to 12 minutes. Ladle soup into shallow bowls and top each bowl with a generous handful of crushed tortillas and cheese. Melt cheese under hot broiler. Garnish with scallions and herbs.