Chicken Tortilla Soup

I love the grocery store. I go through it the exact same way every single time, and the last thing I smell before I check out is always some kind of pre-prepared tortilla soup. It smells so good, lots of cumin, some kind of peppers, and corn tortillas. I have no idea what’s exactly in it because it has cilantro and I am one of this unfortunate people who think cilantro tastes like a mouth full of soap, but it was calling to me so I had to come up with a home made version. We make it at least once a month, its warming, filling, easy, and it costs less than $20 for the whole pot. I’ve fed 6 with it, but it’s best to feed 4 with some leftovers for lunch the next day. It could also easily be made with a rotisserie chicken, just use chicken broth instead of water and add the chicken in the last 15 minutes. It can also be made vegan if you add 2 additional cans of whatever beans (kidney and pinto would be great) and veggie broth instead of water.

1 tbsp neutral oil

4 bone in skin on chicken thighs (about 2lbs)

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

6 cloves of garlic, minced

1.5 tbsp cumin

1.5 tbsp chili powder

6 cups of water

1 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes

1.5 cups crushed tortilla chips

1 cup frozen corn

1 small can of hatch chilis (optional but I like extra spice)

Salt, pepper, avocado for topping

In a large dutch oven or other heavy pot, heat neutral oil over medium heat, meanwhile salt and pepper the chicken thighs. Once the oil is hot add the chicken thighs and brown them on both sides, about 10 minutes. Remove the chicken thighs (I use tongs) and sauté the onions and jalapeno with salt and pepper in the chicken fat until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the cumin, chili powder, and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken, beans, diced tomatoes, tortilla chips, frozen corn, hatch chilis (if using), six cups of water, and salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the soup to a simmer and cook uncovered for an hour to an hour and a half, until the chicken is falling off the bone. Pull the chicken out, let it cool slightly, remove the skin and bones, and shred it. Put the shredded chicken back in the soup. Top with avocado, or crushed tortilla strips, or cilantro if you like a mouth full of soap.