I’ll bet you were expecting something with cranberries, sweet potatoes or pumpkin. But you don’t need my input on Thanksgiving. If your family is like mine, then no matter what twists and reinterpretations you read about in magazines or see on TV, everyone wants what they ate last year and the year before. Marshmallows on the sweet potatoes. A jar of Cheez Whiz in the broccoli-cheese casserole. The pumpkin pie recipe straight off the can of Libby’s® 100% Pure Pumpkin. We crave the familiar, even if it involves something with the word “whiz” in it.

So, instead, I’m bringing you Ina Garten’s Mexican Chicken Soup, another Barefoot Bloggers pick. It’s a basic chicken soup – chicken stock with shredded chicken, onions, celery, carrots, garlic and tomatoes – livened up with jalapenos, cumin, coriander, cilantro and corn tortillas. The tortillas are added before the soup boils, so they break down and thicken the soup as it simmers.

Even with the tortillas, the soup stays fairly thin. It’s definitely not a chicken chili. But there are times when you really need something light but really flavorful, like after a day of broiled marshmallows and Cheez Whiz, and this could be your huckleberry.

Mexican Chicken Soup

Adapted from Ina Garten’s “Barefoot Contessa at Home”

• 4 split (2 whole) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
• Good olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups chopped onions (2 onions)
• 1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)
• 2 cups chopped carrots (4 carrots)
• 4 large cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 1/2 quarts chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes in puree, crushed
• 2 to 4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, optional
• 6 (6-inch) fresh white corn tortillas
• Garnishes: sliced avocado, sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, and tortilla chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Place the chicken breasts skin-side up on a sheet pan. Rub with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until done. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones, and shred the meat. Cover and set aside.

3. Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onions, celery, and carrots and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions start to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

4. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes with their puree, jalapenos, cumin, coriander, 1 tablespoon salt (depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock), 1 teaspoon pepper, and the cilantro, if using.

5. Cut the tortillas in 1/2, then cut them crosswise into 1/2-inch strips and add to the soup.

6. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and season to taste. Serve the soup hot topped with sliced avocado, a dollop of sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, and broken tortilla chips.