Chicken Tortilla Soup with Cheese

Serves 6 in about 1 hour. The pressure cooker brings celery and avocado together.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 cup celery, diced (about 2 stalks)
• 1 cup carrots, diced (about 2 carrots)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
• 5 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 (14.5 oz) can fire roasted diced tomatoes (with juice)
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon mexican oregano, or regular
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 5 cups chicken broth (use 6 for a soupier consistency)
• 3 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 ½ cups frozen corn
• 5 6-inch corn tortillas, cut into 2” pieces, divided
• Cilantro
• Sour cream
• Tortilla chips
• Corn tortilla
• Avocado
• Shredded cheese

Method

1. Turn on the Sauté function. When display reads “Hot” add the oil.
2. Tip in onions, celery, carrots, and bay leaf. Simmer until vegetables are tender, while stirring now and then.
3. Stir in the jalapeño, and garlic. Cook, while stirring the whole time, for 30 seconds.
4. Stir in the tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, coriander powder, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and oregano. Stir.
5. Stir in the black beans, broth, and the chicken. Stir.
6. Stir in the tomato paste but do not stir.
7. Set the lid on the pot and set the Steam Release Knob to Sealing position.
8. Cancel the Sauté function.
9. Press the Pressure Cook (or Manual) button, or dial on Ultra. Set time to 10 minutes using the +/- button, or dial.
10. When cook cycle ends, let pot naturally release pressure for 10 minutes. Then manually release the remaining pressure by turning the knob to Venting.
11. When the pin in the lid drops. Open and carefully stir the soup. Taste and adjust salt, if needed.
12. Lift out chicken with tongs and place in a bowl.
13. Mix the corn and tortillas into the soup.
14. Shred the chicken using two forks. Then add back into the soup.
15. Put the lid back on (leave vent open) and let it sit while you get everything else ready. This gives the tortillas a few more minutes to dissolve a little.
16. Garnish as desired and serve.

More instant pot ideas are in the instant pot collection.