Full Moon Cafe Chicken Tortilla Soup - CopyKat Recipes (2023)

FAQs

How do I thicken chicken tortilla soup? ›

How to Store Chicken Tortilla Soup. This easy tortilla soup will keep airtight in the fridge for 5 to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Extra tortilla strips will keep in airtight at room temp for up to 5 days.

This soup freezes well if you want to store it for a longer period. I thought it would be a great option for work lunches as you could easily divide it into the right portions (in microwave-safe containers) ahead of time, then bring it as needed (either from the fridge or the freezer).

Freezing Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken tortilla soup freezes incredibly well. We recommend freezing without any of the optional garnishes you add at the end. It's better to add those fresh once the soup as reheated. To freeze, we recommend using our 1-cup or 2-cup freezing trays.

It's important to note that cornstarch has twice the thickening power of flour. If you need to substitute cornstarch in a gravy recipe that calls for ¼ cup (four tablespoons) flour, you would only need to use two tablespoons cornstarch.

How to Reheat Chicken Tortilla Soup. This soup reheats best on the stovetop. Cook on medium to medium-low heat, just keep covered and stir occasionally, until heated through. It is never recommended to reheat soup in a slow cooker for food safety reasons.

Food should not be at room temperature for more than two hours. Shallow containers or small amounts of hot food can be placed directly in the refrigerator or rapidly chilled in an ice or cold water bath before refrigerating.

Yes, you can thaw and refreeze soup, so long as you reheat it again before putting it back in the freezer. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service recommends bringing thawed food to a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit before refreezing.

Ladle soup into an airtight bag like Glad^® FLEX'N SEAL™ Freezer Quart Bags, leaving an inch or so of space. Squeeze out any air before tightly sealing and laying bags flat in the deepest part of your freezer. Once the bags' contents are frozen, you can stack them on top of each other to save space.

How long is leftover tortilla soup good for? ›

Store your leftover tortilla soup without toppings. Transfer the soup to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. You can also freeze your soup in an airtight container for up to two months.

For best safety and quality, plan to eat refrigerated soup within 3 to 4 days or freeze it. And avoid letting soup set at room temperature for more than TWO hours. Don't put a large pot of hot soup directly into your refrigerator.

In the refrigerator

Chicken soup usually lasts three to five days. Creamy soups will most likely last three days, and seafood soup two or three days.

Soup should not be reheated more than once, so only heat up as much soup as you will eat each time. When reheating broths or clear soups, bring them to the boil for three minutes.

White all-purpose flour works best for thickening soup as opposed to wholemeal flour. If you have made a large pot of soup, add 2 tablespoons (16 grams) of flour.

The most classic and surefire way to thicken a broth-based soup is with a cornstarch slurry. Whisk together equal parts cornstarch (or arrowroot) and water or broth, then whisk it into the pot of soup. A good ratio to get to a pleasant thickness without your soup tasting goopy or heavy is one tablespoon.

Cook It Longer

Sometimes soup just needs to simmer longer to reach the perfect consistency. Check to see if the vegetables are tender, and then taste the broth. If the soup tastes a bit watery, give it more time.

Whether you use a few tablespoons or a few cups, cream gives soup a silky mouthfeel and rich flavor. You can definitely add milk or other dairy as well, though it will taste gradually less creamy as you go down in percent.

You can extract a clean, strong broth from a combination of water and several pantry ingredients. It's all about layering powerful flavor-enhancers that you probably already have on hand—bacon, tomato paste, herbs, peppercorns, a Parmesan rind, and, of course, kosher salt.

Creamy soup contains dairy products to make a thick, velvety texture. Cream soups often have heavy cream, half and half, cheese, or butter. You can also use coconut milk or other milk alternatives to make creamy vegan soups. Puréed potato, cauliflower, chickpeas, and lentils will also yield a creamy texture.

What can I add to chicken tortilla soup to make it less spicy? ›

Always cover your pot if you're trying to keep the heat in. That means that if you're trying to bring something to a simmer or a boil—a pot of water for cooking pasta or blanching vegetables, a batch of soup, or a sauce—put that lid on to save time and energy.

When adding ANY dairy products to soup, such as cream, yogurt, sour cream or whipping cream, stir into heated soup and then turn heat down to the lowest setting. Do Not Boil! Boiling will cause the soup to curdle.

According the expert McGee consulted, soup or stock left to cool overnight, then reboiled for 10 minutes and properly refrigerated in the morning is still safe to eat because it isn't cool long enough for the bacteria to germinate and reproduce up to dangerous levels.

Reheating food may not make it safe. If food is left out too long, some bacteria, such as staphylococcus aureus (staph), can form a heat-resistant toxin that cooking can't destroy. One of the most common sources of staph bacteria is the human body.

Any cooked chicken left at room temperature for more than two hours should probably be thrown out. The same applies to cooked chicken enjoyed outdoors, like at a picnic or barbecue. But when the indoor or outside temperatures are above 90°F (32.2°C), the cooked chicken is unsafe to eat after one hour.

Freezing Mason Jars is a great way to preserve food, soups, and seasonings! Get the most out of your food supply by storing them in your freezer. Storing food, spices, and liquids in mason jars with lids will keep them fresh much longer. Stored properly, they are airtight and prevent freezer burn.

You can dice squares for roasting later, or cut the potatoes into strips to make french fries. You can freeze potatoes with or without the peel.

Can you freeze soup in a mason jar? Yes, freezing 1-2 portions in a freezer safe mason jar is a great way to save leftover soups, stews, and chilis!

Plastic and glass containers that are labeled freezer-safe are the best containers for freezing soup. You also want a container that makes it easy to remove frozen soup from, so silicone options are also favorable.

Can I freeze soup in glass Pyrex? ›

The short answer is yes—but there are a few rules you should follow. When using Pyrex or any glass bakeware or cookware, you should avoid extreme temperature changes—very cold dishes shouldn't be placed in a hot oven, and vice versa.

Best Freezing Containers for Soup

You can use freezer-safe containers made of plastic or glass as well as freezer-safe bags. There are also handy silicone freezing trays available made specifically for soup.

Yes, all of those soups that you love so much were frozen before you ate them. In a thread, Reddit user KasperAura said, “All our soups are indeed made fresh, but they're frozen into giant blocks and then dropped into a fridge-like box of really hot water to defrost them.”

You can safely store frozen milk in your freezer for up to 6 months, but it's best if you can use it within 1 month of freezing. Milk should be defrosted in the fridge as opposed to at room temperature to decrease the risk of bacterial growth.

Rice can be frozen both cooked and uncooked.

Freezing rice uncooked helps to prolong its shelf life so it will keep for longer, especially for brown rice on account of the small amount of natural oils in its kernels!

Most leftovers, such as cooked beef, pork, seafood or chicken, chili, soups, pizza, casseroles and stew can be safely kept for three to four days.

Leftovers can be kept for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. After that, the risk of food poisoning goes up. If you don't think you'll be able to eat leftovers within four days, freeze them right away. Frozen leftovers will stay safe for a long time.

There are no limits to how many times you can safely reheat leftover home-cooked meals. However, best practice is to limit the number of times you do so. More often than not, you wouldn't need to reheat one type of dish more than once. If you are making meals in bulk, separate and store them in individual portions.

Add Flour Or Cornstarch

You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute. For the best results, never add flour or cornstarch directly to your soup. If you do, it will clump up on top. Instead, ladle a small amount of broth into a separate bowl and let it cool.

A handful of uncooked rice. That's all folks, just a handful of white rice. Any kind will do: jasmine, basmati, short grain, long grain. When added to a brothy (or watery, even) soup, and left to simmer for 20-30 minutes, the rice breaks down, releasing its starch and thickening the liquid that it's cooking in.

Can I thicken soup with flour and water? ›

In a bowl, mix ¼ cup flour with a single cup of cold water. Mix until smooth. Add approximately two tablespoons of the mix to the soup while stirring. Wait until your soup is simmering once more so you can check the thickness.

"If your broth is lacking in savory richness, try adding roasted onion, tomato paste, mushrooms, seaweed, soy sauce, or miso. These ingredients add umami flavor and depth to broth," she says.

Add Some Herbs

Start by melting a little butter in a pan and add some fresh herbs like ground pepper, oregano, thyme, and basil. Mix the sauteed herbs into the broth to add flavor to a boring canned soup. You can also toss a sprig of rosemary or fresh sage into the pot while you heat up the soup.

Cornstarch. Cornstarch is a very effective thickener, and a little bit can go a long way. Add cornstarch to a small amount of cold water or other liquid (wine or stock) and whisk into a thick slurry. Then the slurry can be stirred into a simmering soup, a bit at a time to set the final consistency.

Heavy cream, sour cream, or yogurt are all excellent for thickening soups and sauces, but you have to be careful about boiling them or they may break and curdle.

Yes. Incredibly effective? You bet. This trick works because the instant mashed potatoes are naturally starchy and therefore are similar in form to other commonly used thickeners, such as cornstarch, only without the clumps.

One simple way to thicken soup is to add potatoes or beans. These ingredients will absorb the broth and thicken it up. Rice, beans, and lentils also release starch which thickens soup. You can either mash these ingredients before adding it to the soup or blend it in for a smoother texture.

Which flour is best for thickening? ›

Unlike wheat flour, cornstarch is a pure starch. That makes it a more effective thickener. To reach its full potential, though, it needs to get just about boiling.

Both whole milk and fat free will work, though you'll get a richer soup with whole milk. Spoon it into the soup near the end, and let it simmer for a few minutes to thicken.

Ok, this may be a little obvious, but just adding water is going to make your soup go a little further. If you stick to a 50/50 ratio between water and whatever flavoured liquid you're using in your soup (be it tomatoes, a stock type, or a cream), you're unlikely to dilute it to the point of making it unpalatable.