Chicken Tortilla Soup

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 55 mins

Ingredients

• 8 (6 inch) corn or 8 (6 inch) flour tortillas, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• table salt
• 2 split split bone-in skin-on chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds) or 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (about 1 1/4 pounds)
• 8 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 large onion, trimmed of root end, quartered, and peeled (about 1 pound)
• 4 medium garlic cloves, peeled
• 8 -10 sprigs fresh cilantro
• 1 sprig fresh oregano
• table salt
• 2 medium tomatoes, cored and quartered
• 1/2 medium jalapeno chile
• 1 chipotle chile in adobo, plus up to
• 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 1 hass avocado, diced fine
• 8 ounces monterey jack cheese, grated
• fresh cilantro leaves
• minced jalapeno pepper
• sour cream

Recipe

• 1 for the tortilla strips:.
• 2 scatter tortilla strips on baking sheet, drizzle with oil and bake at 425 degrees until golden brown and crispy (about 12-14 mins.).
• 3 remove tortilla strips from oven, season with salt and transfer to a paper towel lined plate to cool.
• 4 for the soup:.
• 5 while tortilla strips bake, bring chicken, broth, 2 onion quarters, 2 garlic cloves, cilantro, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to boil over medium-high heat in large saucepan.
• 6 reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until chicken is just cooked through, about 20 minutes.
• 7 transfer chicken to large plate and set aside to cool.
• 8 pour broth through fine-mesh strainer and discard solids in strainer.
• 9 when cool enough to handle, shred chicken into bite-sized pieces & discard bones.
• 10 puree tomatoes, 2 remaining onion quarters, 2 remaining garlic cloves, jalapeño, chipotle chile, and 1 teaspoon adobo sauce in food processor until smooth.
• 11 heat oil in dutch oven over high heat until shimmering.
• 12 add tomato/onion puree and 1/8 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture has darkened in color, about 10 minutes.
• 13 stir strained broth into tomato mixture, bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer to blend flavors, about 15 minutes.
• 14 if desired, add up to 2 teaspoons additional adobo sauce.
• 15 add shredded chicken and simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes.
• 16 place portions of tortilla strips in bottom of individual bowls and ladle soup over the tortilla strips.
• 17 dress soup with desired garnishes.