Recipe: Chicken Tortilla Soup (not Cheddars) for Judi

Chicken Tortilla Soup
Servings: 6

1/2 cup Onion; Finely Chopped, 1 Med
1 Clove Garlic; Finely Chopped
2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
4 cups Chicken Broth
1/4 cup Red Bell Pepper; Chopped
1 Tbsp Red Chiles; Ground
3/4 tsp Basil Leaves; Dried
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
15 oz Tomato Puree; 1 can
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
10 ( 6-inch dia.) Corn Tortillas*
2 cups Chicken Breasts; Cooked, **

GARNISHES
1 Avocado Slices
1 Cheese; ***

* Corn Tortillas should be cut into 1/2-inch strips.
** Cooked Chicken breasts should be cut up or shredded.
*** Use Monterey Jack or Chihuahua Cheese in this recipe.

Cook and stir onions and garlic in 2 T oil in 4-quart Dutch oven until onion is tender. Stir in broth, bell pepper, ground red chiles, basil, salt and pepper, and tomato puree. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Heat 1/2 cup oil in 10-inch skillet until hot. Cook tortilla strips in oil until light golden brown, 30 to 60 seconds; drain. Divide tortilla strips and chicken among 6 bowls; pour broth over chicken. Top with cheese and avocado slices.

Dorotea's Tortilla Soup

2 tsp. Olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, stemmed and seeded, finely chopped
2 (14.5 oz.) cans low-sodium chicken broth
1 (10 oz.) can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 cup cooked chicken breast, chopped or shredded
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 tsp. Oregano
1 tsp. Ground pure red chile powder
2 Tbsp. flour
3 small corn tortillas, sliced into 1/4 inch strips
1/3 cup Fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 fresh serrano pepper, stemmed and seeded, finely chopped
1/2 cup shredded cheese, Cheddar, Mexican asadero, Monterrey Jack or a combination
1//4 cup sour cream

In a Dutch oven or large pot, saute garlic, onion and chopped jalapeno in olive oil until onion is soft. Add chicken broth, Rotel tomatoes and chiles, chopped or shredded chicken, water, wine, oregano and red chile powder. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes.

While broth simmers, bake tortilla strips on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees for about 7 minutes, or until crisp, but not brown. Remove strips from cookie sheet when done and set aside to cool. After soup has simmered 20 minutes, skim off 1/3 cup broth into a glass measuring cup, add the 2 Tbsp. flour to the measuring cup of broth, stir until smooth and return the broth/flour mixture to the soup. Bring the soup back to a boil then turn heat back to low after it boils.

To serve: place tortilla strips in the bottom of two soup bowls, cover strips with soup mixture, and garnish with your choice of cilantro leaves, fresh serrano pepper, shredded cheese and sour cream. Makes two generous servings. Can be doubled.