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Tex-Mex Tortilla Soup

A hearty soup of chicken, tomatoes, and spices served with tortilla chips, cheese, and sour cream.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 15 ingredients
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Why it works: Carrot and cumin match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 777 recipes. Both carry methyl cinnamate, which smells strawberry. The science ↓

Tex-Mex Tortilla Soup

Timeapproximately 1 hour

Ingredients

Directions

Make the soup

  1. Combine all ingredients except tortilla chips, cheese, and sour cream, and bring to a boil.

  2. Simmer until chicken is cooked and tender (approximately 1 hour).

Serve

  1. Serve with tortilla chips, topped with Monterey Jack cheese and a teaspoon of sour cream (if desired).

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

888Calories
89 gProtein
34 gFat
56 gCarbs

Counts 13 of 14 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 13 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Beef100g cooked250
Chicken100g cooked165
Tortilla Chip1 medium flour (45g)140
Cheese1 oz (28g) cheddar113
Yogurt170g plain Greek100
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Carrot1 medium (61g)25
Tomato1 medium (123g)22
Cumin1 tsp ground (2.1g)8
Chili1 tsp (2.7g)8
Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Cilantro1 tbsp chopped fresh (1g)1
Waternot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Carrot + cumintop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together777 recipes

    Shared aroma: methyl cinnamate (strawberry).

  2. Tomato + cumintop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together3,272 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

  3. Chicken + beeftop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together2,148 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-furfurylthiol (coffee, roasted).

  4. Pepper + carrottop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together14,555 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  5. Tomato + carrottop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together3,606 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Chicken breasts
Provide the main protein, becoming tender as they simmer in the broth.
Beef broth
Builds the savory base of the soup liquid.
Chicken broth
Adds savory depth and body to the soup liquid.
Diced tomatoes
Add acidity and a fruity sweetness that balances the spices.
Monterey jack cheese
Melts over the hot soup to add richness and creamy fat.

The step that matters

Simmer until the chicken is tender. Chicken breast can turn dry and stringy if overcooked, while undercooked meat is unsafe. Cooking it gently at a simmer, rather than a hard boil, keeps the meat moist and tender.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (chicken, beef, tomato, pepper, carrot, cumin, cheese):

  1. Capsicumfits better
  2. Potatofits about as well
  3. Onionthe original
  4. Spinachfits about as well

Fit is the average pairing score against chicken, beef, tomato, pepper, carrot, cumin, cheese. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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