chicken tortilla soup

chicken tortilla soup. YUM! the soup is delish but the garnish of avocado, shredded white cheddar, cilantro & a squeeze of lime make the taste buds dance. i wanted to use some of that achiote oil i made (see arroz con pollo 2) and clean out the veg drawer. the tortilla chips thicken the soup. this recipe is a keeper. here’s how;

you’ll need: 

2 tablespoons achiote oil or olive oil
2 chicken thighs
1 onion, finely diced
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 carrots, diced
1 potato, diced
1 turnip, diced (optional)
1 dried chile, de-stemmed & de-seeded, snipped finely with kitchen shears
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
cayenne, a pinch
1 can tomatoes (14 oz)
1 box of chicken stock
1 cup tortilla chips, (dump out bag & use broken chips and crumbs)
1 can of hominy (big or small can, i chose big)

for garnish:
avocado, diced
white cheddar, shredded
cilantro, finely chopped
lime wedges

you'll do:

add achiote oil to dutch oven over med-high heat. add chicken thighs, skin side down, brown on both sides. remove from dutch oven. add chopped veg to dutch oven and sauté in stages as you add veg. add snipped dried chile, cumin, oregano chili powder, salt & a pinch of cayenne. add tomatoes, chicken stock and tortilla chips. add chicken thighs back to pot. bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer covering partially with a lid. simmer for 40 minutes. turn heat to low. remove chicken and let cool. add drained can of hominy. when chicken is cool enough, remove skin and shred chicken into bit size pieces. ladle soup into bowls, add chicken and garnish with avocado, cheddar cheese, cilantro & lime juice. eat with tortilla chips. YUM!