Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

· 1 Tbsp olive oil
· 1 medium onion, chopped
· 3 garlic cloves, minced
· 1 jalapeno pepper , seeded and diced
· 1 tsp ground cumin
· 1 tsp chilli powder
· 1 lb chicken breasts, (2 medium)
· 20 oz can crushed tomatoes
· 32 oz chicken broth
· 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
· 14 oz can corn, drained and rinsed
· 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped, divided (reserve 1/4 of it for garnish)
· 1 lime, juiced
· 1 tsp salt, or to taste

Homemade Tortilla Strips
· 1/4 cup olive oil
· 8 corn tortillas (6" tortillas)

Toppings
· 1 large avocado, diced
· 1 lime, cut into wedges, to serve

Instructions

Tortilla Strips:

1. Preheat a pan with 1/4 cup oil over medium-high heat. Cut tortillas into thin strips and fry them in batches in the hot oil until crisp. Remove from the pan and allow them to drain on a paper towel. Repeat with remaining tortilla strips, adding more oil as needed then set aside.

Chicken Tortilla Soup:

1. Preheat a pot with oil over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, garlic and chopped jalapeño and sauté until veggies soften.

2. Add whole chicken breasts, corn, beans, chilli powder, cumin, crushed tomatoes, salt, ¼ cup of cilantro and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and let simmer for at least 25 minutes.

3. Remove chicken from the pot and shred it using 2 forks. Add shredded chicken back to the soup and simmer another 5 minutes then add lime juice. 

4. Serve the soup with some tortilla strips, pieces of avocado, fresh cilantro and lime wedges.