Chicken Tortilla Soup--So. California-Style

Seasoned chicken thighs are cooked, chopped, and added to a flavorful broth with canned tomatoes and packaged tortilla strips.

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Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 tbsp. canola oil
• 5 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp. chopped cilantro
• 1 cup sweet onion, diced fine
• 2 15 oz. cans tomatoes, Mexican-style
• 2 tbsp. cumin, divided use
• 2 tsp. chili powder, divided use
• 2 tsp. ground coriander, divided use
• 1 tsp. cayenne pepper (or to taste), divided use
• 2 bay leaves
• 64 oz. chicken stock, store-bought or homemade
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 cup Mexican-blend shredded cheese
• 1 pkg. Mexican- or Santa Fe-style tortilla strips (not chips)
• Diced avocado

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season chicken thighs on both sides with half of the cayenne, 1 tsp. chili powder, 1 tbsp. cumin, 1 tsp. ground coriander, salt & black pepper. Put 1 tbsp. canola oil in pan; saute chicken thighs on both sides, about four minutes on each side. Place chicken thighs in oven until internal temperature of chicken is at least 165 degrees, about 20 minutes. When chicken is done, dice and set aside. Add 1 tbsp. canola oil to a very large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sweat until it begins to brown. Add tomatoes (do not drain juice from can, add it all) and broth; bring to a boil. Add remaining cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper and ground coriander, and the bay leaves. Reduce to simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes. After simmering, strain soup through a fine mesh strainer. Discard bay leaves. Add diced chicken to soup. Divide among bowls and garnish with cheese, avocado, cilantro and tortilla strips.

Notes: Straining the soup is very important. Prior to straining, you may wish to use an immersion blender to liquify any tomatoes that have not dissolved in the cooking process. This is the best chicken tortilla soup you will ever eat, I promise.

Number of servings: 8-10

Submitted By: samanthagia
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