Chicken Tortilla Soup with Avocado Relish

 Just a week later than I intended...here's the recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup with Avocado Relish. 'Tis the season; it's the last week of the semester and grades are due today! Enough about me. Let's get to this hearty winter soup.

Ingredients

For the soup...
1/2 white onion, roughly chopped
6 peeled garlic cloves
1 jalapeno, seeded and roughly chopped
1 can (14.5 oz) fire roasted crushed tomatoes (make sure they're fire roasted!)
8 cups chicken stock (I like organic)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
2 chicken breasts (optional)
10 corn tortillas

For the avocado relish...
2 avocados
1 small tomato, finely chopped
2/3 cup chopped onion (about 1/2 of the remaining onion from the soup)
1 serrano chile, seeded and finely chopped
2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons lime juice (1 lime)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions


For the soup...

• Place tortillas on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray and broil until brown and crispy. (Note: The crispier they are, the easier they will be to break apart.) I broil on low since I don't have the best attention span while cooking. 
• Meanwhile, brown jalapeno, onion, and garlic in a little olive oil until blistered and slightly charred. 

• Put veggies in a food processor with roasted tomatoes and puree until smooth.

• Move to soup pot, add chicken stock, and bring to a boil with chicken breasts, if using. 
• Once boiling reduce to a simmer and simmer uncovered for 30-45 minutes. 
• Remove chicken breasts, if using, at 30 minutes and shred or cube. At this point, I add the tortillas (which I have crumbled), the oregano, and the chicken, once shredded/cubed. 

While the soup is simmering, make the avocado relish...

• Chop above ingredients and combine with lime juice, salt, and pepper. Set aside until soup is ready.

For a hungry couple, this soup should last through three dinners. Enjoy!