Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

Chicken and Broth

• 4-5 corn tortillas
• 6 bone-in chicken breast halves, with skin,fat discarded,washed,and patted dry
• 1 large yellow onion, cut into quarters or eighths
• 6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 2 large bay leaves

• 4 (14 1/2 ounce) cans low sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups white wine or

  1 (12 ounce) can beer, depending on taste

• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, including stems,thoroughly rinsed and coarsely chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, plus additional to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, more to taste
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Soup and Garnish

• reserved chicken broth
• 12 ounces reserved shredded chicken breasts
• 3-4 corn tortillas, halved,and cut crosswise into 1/8 to 1/4 inch wide slivers
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 large ripe avocado, cut into 1/4 inch dice
• 2-3 green onions, white and green parts,thinly sliced
• fresh lime, cut into wedges as accompaniment

Directions

1. 1

   Chicken and Broth: Toast corn tortillas in a 350 degrees F oven until crisp and lightly browned.

2. 2

   Cool slightly, and break into large pieces.

3. 3

   Combine chicken breasts, tortilla pieces, and remaining ingredients in a large kettle over medium heat, and stir to combine.

4. 4

   Bring to a full boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer gently for 45 minutes, skimming the surface as needed and stirring several times.

5. 5

   Remove the chicken breasts from the kettle, and cool until you can skin them and pull the meat from the bones.

6. 6

   Set the meat aside, and return the skin and bones to the kettle, return to a vigorous simmer, and cook for another 20 minutes.

7. 7

   Reserve and shred or coarsely chop 1-1/2 cups (12 oz) of the chicken, reserving the rest for another use.

8. 8

   Strain the broth into a bowl, discarding the bones, skin, and vegetables.

9. 9

   Set the broth aside for 5-10 minutes to allow fat to rise to top, and skim off as much as you can.

10. 10

    Place broth in freezer for 30 minutes, and skim off the solidified fat.

11. 11

    Refrigerate chicken and broth separately until you are ready to finish making the soup just before serving.

12. 12

    Before serving the soup, you need to make a serious choice.

13. 13

    Do you want a lot more flavor and better texture, or do you want less fat?

14. 14

    If you opt for flavor, fry the tortilla strips until crisp, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

15. 15

    If you want low-fat, bake them until crisp, but they will get soggy within seconds of being dropped into the soup.

16. 16

    Your choice!

17. 17

    Soup and Garnish: To serve the soup, bring broth to a boil, add chicken, and simmer until chicken is heated through.

18. 18

    Divide the cilantro, avocado, chopped green onions, and half of the tortilla strips between four large bowls.

19. 19

    Strain shredded chicken from broth, and divide between bowls.

20. 20

    Fill each bowl with broth, and sprinkle with a few more tortilla strips.

21. 21

    Serve immediately, with remaining tortilla strips and lime wedges for garnish.

22. 22

    Tell your guests to squeeze a little lime juice into the soup before eating to add an extra layer of flavor.