Now, the last time I was there a few years ago it had definitely been upgraded. When I used to hang there on a regular basis, it was the proverbial walk-up window, hole-in-the-wall. I don’t remember having any of their spicy chicken tortilla soup that time, but it could have happened.

The food simply cannot be beat.

Unfortunately, this recipe is not from there, OK?! Sorry, but I don’t have the inside dope on El Indio’s recipes. Still, this recipe does kick some serious clogged sinus. Check it out.

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INGREDIENTS

1 T olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onions
1-2 clove minced garlic
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (A little more if you really like it spicy! A little less if you don’t.) (optional)
3 cups chicken stock
1 can (15 ounce) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 small can (8 ounce) corn, drained
1 can (10 3/4 ounce) Campbell’s Fiesta nacho cheese soup, undiluted (all right, this is like cheating I know, but it’s easy)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp basil
1 T cilantro, to taste
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
4 corn tortillas

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large stockpot, heat olive oil.
2. Cook onion and garlic for a few minutes until translucent (don’t burn the garlic!).
3. Add soup, mix together until smooth.
4. Add chicken stock, red pepper flakes, beans, corn, and spices.
5. Stir to mix.
6. In a skillet cook chicken breasts until done, then dice into 1/2 inch chunks.
7. Add chicken to soup and cook for 20-30 minutes.
8. Cut tortillas into strips or triangles, place on a baking pan or jelly roll pan and bake at 350 F until crisp (about 10 minutes, but keep an eye on them so they don’t burn).
9. Remove from oven.
10. Serve soup garnished with tortilla strips.

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 50 min

Some people prefer the soup to taste as much like a baked potato with all the fixins as possible. Others use the baked potato soup recipe as a starter and add their own twists like the chili powder, which is what I like to add to give it a little zing. For even more zing, use cayenne instead of chili powder.

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4 baking potatoes (Russet for firmness, Yukon Gold for flavor)
1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
4 cups 1% milk
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup chopped chives
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup imitation or lite sour cream
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (Optional)
Bacon bits (Optional)
Chopped broccoli (Optional)
Chili powder (Optional)

1. Preheat over to 400 F.
2. Bake potatoes until you can push a fork in easily, typically about an hour.
3. Scoop out the insides of the potatoes and discard the skins.
4. Melt the butter over medium low heat in a saucepan. Slowly stir in the flour to make a roux, which is like a paste. Once mixed, stir for 1 minute, then slowly pour in the broth.
5. Continue stirring and slowly add the milk.
6. Turn up the heat to medium and stir until the soup mixture begins to thicken.
7. Add the slightly crumbling potatoes, chives, salt and pepper. Stir well and heat for 12-15 minutes.
8. Mix in the sour cream until well blended with the soup.
9. If you like, mix in bacon bits, sauteed chopped broccoli (florets), or chili powder to taste, or serve these as separate condiments in bowls.

Serves 4-6.
Prep: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 1 1/2 hours

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