I’m a recovering perfectionist…
First step is acceptance — which I’ve totally got down. I’ve known for years that I hold myself to a ridiculous standard.
Next step is to actually do something about it. That part isn’t quite checked off, probably won’t be for awhile. But I’m working on it.
A few weeks ago, I nannied for a family in my neighborhood. I was supposed to run the carpools and make dinner for 5 kids and a husband (all total strangers to me). I was supposed to just look in the fridge, see what they had, and make it work. The perfectionism in me instantly started bubbling to the surface…that feeling of dread…what if my dinner failed? What if it didn’t taste good? What would they think? Then I remembered I was supposed to be recovering from this perfectionism thing, so I took a deep breath, opened the fridge, and started pulling ingredients out.
I made a soup. An adobo chicken tortilla soup. And it was grosssss. It was watery, not flavorful, blaaah. But instead of panicking and announcing that we would all be going to Cafe Rio for dinner, I decided to just make it work. Even if it wasn’t perfect, I could make it work, and they would eat it and move on with their life, and regardless of how gross or delicious the soup was, I would move on with my life without a second thought.
So I added some extra cumin. A can of tomato sauce. A pinch of paprika and a squirt of lime…
I stirred it around and gave it a sip…and it was delicious.
And what was the most delicious part about it you ask? The fact that I didn’t add even a pinch of stress, regret, embarrassment, or perfection to that dang soup. It was just an honest bowl of I’m-doing-my-best, and that’s what made the difference.
So. Forget perfection. Forget expectations and perfectly set tables, and make the soup!
Ingredients
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 1 cup cilantro, packed
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce + 1 tsp. adobo sauce
- 2 tsp. cumin
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 can tomato sauce
- 1.5 lbs. chicken breast *(for stovetop version, you can also use pre-cooked rotisserie chicken to cut out a step)
- Salt and Pepper
- Paprika
- Avocado or olive oil (for stove top version only)
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 cup frozen corn
- Toppings: plain Greek yogurt, cilantro, tortilla chips, avocado slices, shredded cheese
Instructions
- Combine tomatoes, chopped onion, cilantro, garlic, chipotle pepper and adobo sauce in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Heat a large stockpot and add the blended mixture, cumin, chicken stock and tomato sauce. Simmer while cooking chicken, stirring occasionally.
- Preheat oven to 400º F. Generously season both sides of chicken with salt, pepper and paprika and drizzle with a little oil. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 165ºF. *You can also use pre-cooked rotisserie chicken to cut out this step.
- Remove chicken from oven and cut or shred into small pieces.
- Add chicken to the pot along with lime juice and frozen corn. Simmer for 5-10 minutes.
- Top with plain Greek yogurt, cilantro, tortilla chips, avocado slices and shredded cheese.
- Combine tomatoes, chopped onion, cilantro, garlic, chipotle pepper and adobo sauce in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Set instant pot to saute and add the blended mixture. Add cumin. Heat 5-10 minutes until thickened, stirring occasionally. Turn instant pot off.
- Generously season both sides of chicken with salt, pepper and paprika. Add to instant pot along with chicken stock and tomato sauce.
- Turn instant pot to manual pressure and make sure the valve is set to "sealing." Cook for 7 minutes and do a natural release for 10-15 minutes. Release remaining pressure and carefully remove lid.
- Scoop chicken breasts out, shred with a fork and return to the instant pot. Stir in lime juice and frozen corn.
- Top with plain Greek yogurt, cilantro, tortilla chips, avocado slices and shredded cheese.
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