Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup

What you need:

• 6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 3 Tbsp salt
• enough water to cover the chicken in the pot
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 med onion (chopped)
• 4 garlic cloves (minced)
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup whole corn kernels
• 1 cup white hominy
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• “Better Than Bouillon” chicken base
• crushed tortilla chips
• sliced avocado
• shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• sour cream
• chopped green onions
• more fresh cilantro
• hot sauce, if desire more “kick”

What to do:

1. In a large stock pot, bring chicken thighs, salt and water to boil.  Reduce heat to low boil and partially cover total of 1/2 hour.
2. About 10 minutes into chicken cooking, in a medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Sauté onion in oil until soft and add garlic the last couple of minutes.  Add to the pot with cooking chicken.
3. Stir in chili powder, oregano, cumin and tomatoes. Continue to a boil, until chicken is cooked through.
4. Remove chicken with thongs, and shred with a fork on a cutting board.  Then place shredded chicken back into pot.
5. Stir in corn, hominy, chiles, beans, cilantro, and chicken. Taste for saltiness.  If more salt flavor is needed, add a touch of “Better Than Bouillon” Simmer for another 10 minutes.
6. Ladle soup into individual serving bowls, and top with crushed tortilla chips, avocado slices, cheese, sour cream, green onion, more fresh cilantro and hot sauce, if desired.