Tortilla Soup is Comfort Food

Tortilla soup is not on the About.com Top 25 American Comfort Foods, but it should be! Everyone in Texas has a slightly different recipe and ours is largely inspired by the Homesick Texan cookbook. There is more to this soup than what meets the eye in the photo.

Ingredients:
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
6 corn tortillas
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
4 carrots, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 can corn
2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp lime juice
Salt, to taste
1/2 chopped cilantro
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup Cotija cheese
1 avocado, sliced

Directions:
In a large stockpot bring chicken broth and water to boil.

Heat 1/2 cup of vegetable oil in a large skillet on medium heat until it reaches 350 degrees. Slice the tortillas into strips about 1/4 in thick. Add tortilla strips to the hot oil and cook until crisp, less than one minute. Drain tortillas on a paper towel and sprinkle if salt.

Slice the onion and chop the carrots and garlic and saute. Once cooked add to the soup which should be boiling. Add tomatoes, corn,  chiles in adobo, cumin, oregano, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, lime juice, and salt to taste. Chop cilantro, shred chicken and add both to soup. Reduce heat and allow to simmer.

Grate Monterey Jack cheese, crumble Cotija cheese, and slice avocado then top over soup with tortilla strips. Serve in a large bowl because you have a hearty soup here!