Christy’s Tortilla Soup

INGREDIENTS

Soup:

• 1 Tablespoon EVOO
• 8 Piece Chicken
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 4 Jalapeno Peppers, seeds removed and chopped
• 1 Tablespoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more or less)
• 3 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 2 32 oz gluten-free chicken broth

Tortilla Strips:

• 3-6 corn tortillas
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• dash of paprika
• dash of cumin
• dash of chili powder
• dash of cayenne pepper
• juice of 1/4 lime

Garnish:

• Pico De Gallo
• Shredded Mexican cheese
• Sour Cream
• Chopped avocado
• Fresh cilantro
• Lime wedges
• Homemade tortilla strips

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Start by heating olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Throw in the onions, jalapenos and garlic and cook until the onions are translucent. Mix in paprika, salt, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. The vegetables will be coated with the spices, continue to stir to cook the vegetables until they begin to turn golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Add the two 32 oz. boxes of chicken broth. Stir to combine and bring the mixture to a boil. Add 8-piece chicken and simmer for 30 minutes or until chicken is easily removed from the bones. (If it totally creeps you out to add raw chicken, you can bake the chicken first and then add to broth and only cook for 20 minutes.)

Reduce the heat to low. Remove all of the chicken, pull the meat off the bones and shred. Return the shredded chicken to the soup. Add the drained black beans. Add the fresh cilantro, give it a taste and add salt or seasonings as needed; be sure to not under salt it!

Cut the tortillas into uniform strips. Mix tortilla strips and oil in a large mixing bowl. Add spices and lime juice and mix until strips are evenly coated. Spray a cookie sheet with oil and evenly spread the tortilla strips out on the pan making sure they do not overlap. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Turn off the heat and get ready to serve it up. Ladle the soup into a bowl, and let everyone top his or her soup with preferred toppings.

Enjoy!