Chicken Tortilla Soup

I love soup!  I could eat it all winter and not get tired of it.  Tortilla soup is one of my favorites too.  It really is very healthy by itself, but I add so much cheese, soup cream (light, of course) and tortilla chips, I think it negates any healthy properties, but man is it good!  This is my own recipe, adapted from a bunch of different online ones.  Enjoy!


CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP


cook time: 2 hours

• 4 c. chicken broth
• 1 lb.boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 med-lg onion chopped
• 3 large carrots chopped
• 2 stalks celery chopped
• 4 cloves crushed garlic
• 2 can diced tomatoes
• 2 small cans tomato sauce or 1 15 oz can
• 1 can diced green chilies
• 1-2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• salt and pepper
• fresh cilantro chopped, plus some for garnish
• fresh avocado
• crushed tortilla chips
• lime
• sour cream

In a soup pot, drizzle olive oil  and over med- high, place chicken in pan.  Cook on one side for five min. then turn and throw in all veggies.  Cook for another 3-5 min and add broth.  Let simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 15 min.  Remove chicken breasts and let sit until cooled.  Meanwhile add can tomatoes, tomato sauce, green chilies and spices as well as good handful of chopped fresh cilantro.  Shred chicken with 2 forks and put in fridge.  Cover pot and let simmer for 1.5 hours.  About 5-10 min before serving, add chicken back to pot.   Squeeze juice of one lime into pot. Ladle in bowl and add crushed chips, some shredded cheddar or mont. jack cheese,  squeeze of lime, dollop of sour cream and sprinkle of fresh cilantro and avocado.  YUM!