Tortilla Soup

Have I mentioned that I am a huge fan of Tex-Mex food?  And, anytime I can make it at home, I am in.  This soup is great.  The recipe is from one of the first cookbooks I ever bought called, Block Parties and Poker Nights.  It is a pretty easy recipe, and the book version makes 20 servings, so great for freezing.

Ingredients:

1 large onion, diced

1 tablespoon minced garlic

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 cans chopped green chiles

2 quarts chicken stock

2 cans stewed tomatoes

1 quart tomato juice

Tortilla chips

5 to 6 cups coarsely chopped cooked chicken

Juice of 6 limes

3 cups grated Monterey Jack or Cheddar Cheese

Directions:

Saute onion and garlic in the oil for about 5 minutes.  Sometimes, I'll add a few other veggies to the soup at this point, such as mushrooms and squash.  Add the chiles, and saute for about 3 minutes more.  Add the chicken broth, tomatoes and tomato sauce.  Bring to a boil and simmer.  While the soup is simmering, I usually season and cook my chicken.  To season the chicken I use, cumin, paprika, chili powder, season-all and hot sauce.  Saute the chicken in oil for about 10 minutes, then coarsely chop it and throw it in the simmering liquid.  Season the soup to taste with above spices and the lime juice.  Let everything marry for about 15-20 minutes.  To serve, ladle the soup over some tortilla chips and top with cheese.  Yummy!