Bahama Mama Tortilla Soup Copycat from Rumbi's Island Grill

Bahama Mama Tortilla Soup Copycat from Rumbi's Island Grill

2 each chicken breasts, no skin, no bone, R-T-C -- or rotisserie chicken
6-7 cups chicken broth (I use a combination of canned broth and water with bouillon added)
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (the original recipe calls for 1/2 tsp FRESH thyme or 1 pinch DRIED thyme)
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon fresh ginger -- chopped (I use the bottled ginger)
1 tablespoon garlic clove -- minced (I usually use the bottle minced garlic)
1 cup shredded or matchstick carrots (I use the matchstick)
1 can coconut milk
1 cup tomato -- chopped
1 cup mozzarella cheese -- shredded
2 cups white tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips (see Laura's notes below)
1 each lime -- cut into wedges
sea salt -- to taste

Laura's original recipe calls for you to grill the chicken, but I never do that, although it would be delicious. Instead I use leftover rotisserie chicken or heat some oil in a large pot, brown the chicken breasts on both sides, then add the chicken broth, allspice, thyme, cinnamon, ginger and garlic and bring to a light boil.

Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the broth and set it aside to rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, turn to medium-low heat and add the carrots and coconut milk. Cut up chicken and add it to the soup, heating until the chicken is warm.

Get four soup bowls and place 1/4 cup of the tomato in each. Ladle broth mixture into bowls. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese and tortilla strips. Squeeze juice onto soup from lime wedges and add salt to taste. (JEN: The lime juice and sea salt really change the flavor of the soup dramatically, so I add just a little lime juice and sea salt before ladling into bowls.) Makes 4 bowls.

SLOW COOKER DIRECTIONS:  3/23/12 Lately I've been cooking this soup in the slow cooker and it has been really easy.  Place chicken in a slow cooker and season with salt and pepper (I usually use 3 large chicken breasts in my 5-qt slow cooker).  Top with allspice, thyme, cinnamon, ginger, and garlic.  Top with matchstick carrots (I use more than the recipe calls for).  Pour chicken broth down along the sides of the slow cooker so you don't wash all the seasonings off of the chicken.  Cover and cook 4-6 hours  on Low until chicken is cooked through.  Once cooked, pull the chicken out of the slow cooker and let rest for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, add coconut milk to slow cooker and let it heat up while the chicken rests.  Shred chicken and return it to slow cooker.  Stir and serve.  (I like to add lime juice and salt to individual servings because they change the flavor so much.)

GLUTEN FREE and SOY FREE DIRECTIONS: Make sure your chicken, broth, coconut milk, cheese, and tortilla chips/strips are gluten and soy free.

DAIRY FREE DIRECTIONS: Omit cheese.

LOW IODINE DIET DIRECTIONS: Omit cheese. Make sure your chicken, broth, and tortilla chips/strips are LID-safe.

Source: Laura at Real Mom Kitchen
Internet Address: http://realmomkitchen.com/5170/copycat-rumbis-bahama-mama-tortilla-soup/

NOTES:
LAURA'S NOTES: You can find tortilla strips in your grocery store now. I have seen them in the produce dept, deli dept, or on the chip isle. If not, then crushed tortilla chips will work. They just aren’t as pretty.

JEN'S NOTES: I love to be able to just taste the flavor of this soup, so I never add cheese and rarely add tortilla chips. The lime juice and salt really change the flavor of the soup dramatically, so I add just a little lime juice and sea salt before serving.

The original recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped, or a pinch of dried thyme. I accidentally put in 1/2 teaspoon DRIED thyme the first time I made this soup and thought it was so delicious that this is what I always do now. The original recipe also calls for 1 cup coconut milk, but I prefer the entire can. The original recipe also says to grill the chicken, but I don't have time for that.