Santa Fe-Tastic Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

• vegetable oil or corn oil, for drizzling, 2 turns of the pot in a slow stream, plus
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or corn oil
• 3 corn cobs
• 1 red bell pepper, split and seeded
• 1 lb chicken breast tenders
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning, 1/3 palm full
• 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/3 palm full
• salt and pepper
• 1 medium zucchini, small dice
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1-2 chipotle chiles in adobo, chopped (medium to hot heat level)

• 1 (28 ounce) can tomatoes
• 18 ounces tomato sauce
• 3 cups chicken stock, available in re-sealable paper containers on soup aisle
• 4 cups blue corn tortilla chips, broken up into large pieces
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or monterey jack pepper cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Optional garnishes

• 1/4 red raw onion, chopped (optional)
• 2-3 tablespoons chopped cilantro (optional) or fresh parsley leaves (optional)
• 1 ripe avocado, diced and dressed with the (optional)
• 1/2 lemon, juice of

Directions

1. 1

   Heat a grill pan to high and a soup pot to medium high. Drizzle oil on corn and place on grill. Add red pepper to grill with corn. Char vegetables 10 minutes, total, turning occasionally. Remove to cool, 5 minutes. Remove charred skin from the pepper.

2. 2

   While vegetables cook, dice chicken. Add 2 tablespoons oil to hot soup pot. Add chicken to pot. Season with poultry seasoning, cumin, salt and pepper. Lightly brown chicken on each side. Add zucchini, onions and garlic and chipotle peppers. Cook vegetables with chicken 5 to 7 minutes to soften. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and stock. Bring soup to a bubble, reduce heat to medium low.

3. 3

   Scrape corn off cob and add to soup. Chop grilled red pepper and stir into soup. Add chips to soup in handfuls and fold together.

4. 4

   Serve soup immediately with scatter of shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream. Top with any or all of the suggested garnishes.