Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast cooked and shredded (I poach them, or you could use meat from a store bought rotisserie chicken)
Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cups chopped carrots (4 carrots)
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
8 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
2 15 oz. can fire roasted tomates with green chiles
1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup corn (either canned or frozen)
1 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder, optional
¼ to ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, optional
4 (6-inch) fresh white corn tortillas
Prepare your chicken by poaching and shredding, put aside.
Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the onions, carrots and bell pepper and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions start to brown. Add the garlic and jalepeno and cook for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes with their juices, beans, corn, cumin, coriander, chili powder and salt (depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock), fresh ground pepper, and the cilantro, if using. Cut the tortillas in ½, then cut them crosswise into ½-inch strips and add to the soup. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes.
While soup is cooking, prepare fresh tortilla strips as a garnish. Cut the remaining corn tortillas from the package into approximately 1/2 inch strips. Heat canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until it reaches a simmer. Test the oil by adding a tortilla stip to the oil, if the oil sizzles and bubbles around it then it is ready. Fry the strips in batches until golden brown, approximately 2-4 minutes per batch. Put the fried strips on a paper towel to drain and salt them immediately.

Add the shredded chicken to the soup and season to taste. Serve the soup hot topped with sliced avocado, a dollop of sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, and fresh tortilla strips.
Yields: 6 to 8 servings
Time to make: 1 hr

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Comments

[Chelsea Orr]

This is one of my favorites!

[Chelsea Orr]

I made this again this week. Really it is amazing and is great for dinner the next night...and there's still even more leftovers for Darren and I.