Tortilla Soup
Warming and delicious
ingredients:
Chicken stock
1 large whole free-range organic chicken (4 to 5 lb)
10 to 12 cups water
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
3 bay leaves
2 medium onions
Soup
5 onions
2 tbsp Mexican chili powder
2 cups slow-roasted tomatoes (or good quality canned)
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp salt
12 6-inch corn tortillas
vegetable oil for frying tortilla strips
Additional toppings
2 limes
1/4-1/2 medium green cabbage
2 cups cheddar or Monterey jack cheese
2 to 4 ripe avocados
sour cream
Directions
Chicken stock:
Cut onions in half, leaving skin on. Place chicken, peppercorns, bay leaves and onions into large pot. Add water, making sure chicken is covered by at least 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower heat to a simmer until chicken is cooked through (about 45 minutes).
Carefully pour stock through a colander into a bowl, reserving broth and setting chicken aside to cool. When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove as much meat as you can from the bones and set aside.
Soup:
Thinly slice onions into half moons and cut tortillas into 1/2” strips. Heat olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Ads sliced onions and sauté until golden. Add child powder, roasted (or canned) tomatoes and salt. Saute over medium-low heat until fragrant about 15 minutes. Add reserved chicken broth an blend until smooth. Add reserved meat from chicken, simmer everything together for another 30 min. Add salt sad pepper to taste.
Heat 2 1/2 inches or so of vegetable oil in a deep pander medium heat until very hot. To test the heat, add one of the tortilla strips; it should bubble and is to the top straight away. Add tortilla strips to hot oil and fry until golden and crisp, stir a few times while frying. put fried tortilla strips onto a plate and salt generously.
Additional toppings:
Shred the cabbage finely, grate cheese, dice the avocados and cut the lis into wedges. Place these toppings along with sour cream into bowls for people to add to their bowl of soup.