Tortilla Soup

I made this for dinner last night and realized I haven't blogged about it yet! I got this recipe from Kristin and I make it so often that I don't have to even glance at the original recipe. 

As I have said before, I have always been a picky eater. For a very long time I insisted that I only ate two types of soup (hot and sour soup and chicken noodle). Now I have branched out, somewhat. When it came to tortilla soup, I usually found that I did not like the enchilada-sauce-style soup. Then I had my aunt Cindy's version. This is not her version, but hers is what changed my mind about tortilla soup. So then I got the recipe from Kristin and now this soup is one of my most favorite meals EVER!!   

I will give you the original recipe from Kristin. Sometimes we do not add the chicken. Other times, you might want to add additional ingredients like peppers, beans, corn, etc. It's up to you--that's the fun of it!! 

Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

4-6 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded*
6 TB vegetable oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 c. cilantro, chopped
28 oz. diced tomatoes
2 TB cumin
1 TB chili powder
2 bay leaves
6 c. chicken stock
1 tsp salt
⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
8 corn tortillas

Condiments:
grated jack or cheddar cheese
sour cream
sliced avocado

Directions

1. Cut tortillas into ½" strips and then cut them in half lengthwise. Fry them in hot oil. Drain on paper towels and then sprinkle with salt (I actually do this step while the soup cooks).

2. In a large pot combine oil, garlic, onion, and cilantro and saute on medium heat for 5 minutes.

3. Stir in diced tomatoes and bring to a boil.

4. Once the boil is reached add the cumin, chili powder, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Bring to a second boil.

5. Add the salt, cayenne pepper, and shredded chicken.

6. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. You may simmer longer, it will only enhance the flavors. Remove the bay leaves before serving.

7. Serve the soup in deep bowls. Garnish with condiments and tortilla strips.

*You may use pre-cooked chicken or leftovers from a previous dinner. If you cook the chicken yourself, simply bake it in the oven at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or so, until cooked through. Then take it out and shred it using a fork and knife.

Enjoy!!