I love chicken tortilla soup, and have tried several different recipes, but I came upon this recipe somewhere and thought it sounded delicious. I tried it today and, sure enough, it was! My only disclaimer is that for me, kind of a lazy cook, the prep was a lot of work, but I can assure you that the end result is worth it!
Tortilla Soup
1 tablespoon oil (virgin, unrefined coconut oil or good quality olive oil)
1/2 large onion, chopped
3 large cloves garlic, minced
3 cups water
2 cups V8 (spicy or regular) or tomato juice
1 can cream-style corn (regular corn works well too)
8 ounces diced mild green chilies
1 large tomato, chopped or 1 small can petite diced tomatoes
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
salt
3 corn tortillas, cut into strips
shredded chicken breasts or thighs (optional)
cilantro snippets
lime wedges
shredded cheese (preferably raw)
Heat the oil in a soup pan over medium heat, then add the onion and garlic and saute until soft. Add the water, V8 or tomato juice, corn, chilies, tomato, cilantro, jalapeno, chili powder and cumin. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt.
Just before serving, stir in the tortilla strips and, if desired, chicken and heat until warm.
Serve with extra cilantro, lime, and cheese.
Serves 4 as a main course.
