Chicken Tortilla Soup

Okay, this is the last recipe for this week. Now y'all can go to the grocery store and think about what you've done. Next week, we'll be doing a bunch of Eastery recipes, so get your pretty little heads ready for springy yumminess.


Now...this isn't like the thick chicken tortilla soup that they have at Chili's; it's brothier (is that a word?) a la Cafe Rio or Costa Vida. It's full of fresh, nutritious ingredients and we actually prefer it to traditional chicken soup at our house when we're stuffed up because of the garlic, lime, and the spiciness that the jalapenos add, helping clear our heads. And now you get to use all the little tricks I posted earlier in the week!


The lineup:

 
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Recipe by Our Best Bites


1 recipe Taco Chicken
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
4 cans chicken broth
1 15-oz. can chopped or diced tomatoes
2 jalapeno peppers (if you're scared, try serrano peppers; they're milder)
1/4 c. fresh lime juice (3-4 limes). Don't even think of buying the stuff in a bottle.
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

TOPPINGS:


Store-bought tortilla strips, or 2-3 corn tortillas, plus oil for frying
Avocado
Grated cheese
1/4 c. cilantro

Early in the day, begin marinating the chicken. Right before you start preparing the soup, start grilling it.

In a large stockpot, heat some olive oil (I can tell you right now that you'll never hear the words EVOO from my mouth. Or my fingers.) over medium heat. Add chopped onion and saute 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and minced jalapeno and cook a few minutes more until pepper is softened and garlic is fragrant. Add chicken broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer 15-20 minutes.

While soup is simmering, juice the limes and set aside. Start preparing the toppings: grate the cheese, chop the cilantro, cut up the avocado, and fry the tortillas. Right before serving, add lime juice and chicken to the soup.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Ladle soup into the bowls and add desired toppings.