Stop Wrecking Chicken Tortilla Soup With This Grocery Store Shortcut

One thing is for certain: a chicken tortilla soup won't be complete until it's got that cheesy melt on top. Sometimes, it might even be the only difference between a passable soup and one that has you ladling one bowl after another. And yet, one of the most common mistakes everybody makes with chicken tortilla soup often starts with the cheese, or more specifically, that bag of pre-shredded cheese they just took home from the grocery store.

The first thing you should know about pre-shredded cheese is that it comes with a coating of anti-caking agents (like potato starch or cellulose) to prevent the pieces from clumping together in the bag. Cellulose, in particular, is a plant-based substance that dehydrates your cheese, and we all know moisture plays a huge role in a cheese's meltability. Indeed, these additives hinder it by a huge margin, rendering it grainy and stiff rather than smooth and luscious. While adequate enough for a quick omelet or a last-minute chopped salad, the cheese cannot give your chicken tortilla soup that special stretchy pull. You might even find some strands floating about in the soup, unable to dissolve into the broth entirely.

The taste is another factor worth mentioning. Already coated in preservatives and anti-caking agents, pre-shredded cheese won't be able to maintain the freshness that you get with regular cheese blocks. What you get instead is a dull, slightly more muted, tangy taste, possibly downplaying the soup's richness in the end.

Whenever possible, opt for a fresh block of cheese and grate it yourself for your chicken tortilla soup. Or, at the very least, find cheeses that are grated onsite, which might have fewer additives and preservatives than those that arrive already packaged and processed. Once you do, you will immediately see the difference between pre-grated cheese and fresh.

Although more commonly used as a topping, you can also utilize the shredded cheese to thicken the broth. Simply stir the cheese straight into the slow cooker chicken tortilla soup as you're simmering it. After about 30 minutes to an hour, there should be a rich, spoon-clinging soup waiting for you in the pot. The fresh cheese seamlessly melts into the soup, lending it that signature richness while the flavors intertwine completely with the hearty base.

What's more, taking this route will also lead you to experimenting with many other cheese varieties. Sprinkled atop of your soup can be more than just the typical cheddar. For a supremely creamy melt, you've got queso Chihuahua cheese, which also brings a mild tanginess to the soup. Members of the Jack cheese family, such as Colby, Pepper, and Monterey, can all cater to your personal palate — from a subtle kick of heat to some sharpness that punctuates the flavor profile. Cotija cheese, on the other hand, is a textural delight as little crumbles land on your taste buds.