Simple Chicken Tortilla Soup
Recipe: https://recipestripper.com/recipes/cf8e2340-98ce-49f0-9471-1b5f53b8b6b0
Original source: https://smittenkitchen.com/2022/03/simple-chicken-tortilla-soup/
Yield: Servings: 4 to 5
Total time: P0DT0H35M0S

Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large white onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 jalapeño, finely chopped (see Note about other heat options)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground chile powder (see Note about other heat options)
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 to 4 cups chicken stock or broth
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs (see Note)
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels (optional)
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Juice of half a lime
- Cotija cheese, crumbled
- 1 medium avocado, sliced
- Sour cream or Mexican crema
- Second half of lime, cut into wedges
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Corn tortillas, cut into thin ribbons, to fry (instructions below)
- Hot sauce

Instructions
1. Heat a large or 4-quart soup pot over medium-high.
2. Once hot, add olive oil.
3. Once oil is hot add onion, garlic, and jalapeño and cook, stirring, until softened and beginning to brown at the edges, about 5 minutes.
4. Add cumin and chile cook one minute.
5. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, until one shade darker, about 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Add 3 cups chicken broth and stir to combine.
7. Add chicken thighs and bring the soup to a simmer.
8. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover, simmering for 15 minutes, until chicken is very tender and cooked through.
9. Remove chicken with tongs and transfer to a cutting board.
10. Add beans and corn (optional; still frozen is fine to soup), gently simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.
11. While it simmers, use two forks to shred chicken into bite-sized pieces.
12. Season soup well with salt and black pepper.
13. Return shredded chicken to soup and warm through, 1 minute.
14. If the soup is too thick for your liking at this point, add all or part of remaining 1 cup broth and bring back to a simmer.
15. Check seasoning again and adjust to taste.
16. Remove from heat and squeeze lime juice of half a lime over.
17. Serve with any finishings of your choice; shown here with avocado, cilantro, cotija, tortilla strips, and hot sauce.
18. Want to make fried corn tortilla strips?
19. In a large nonstick frying pan, heat a generous 1/4-inch of a neutral/high heat-safe oil over medium-high until a drop of water flicked in sizzles dramatically.
20. Add a handful of corn tortilla strips and cook, stirring a bit, until they begin to brown at the edges, 2 to 3 minutes.
21. Scoop out with tongs or a slotted spoon, shaking off excess oil, and transfer to paper towels to drain.
22. Season immediately with salt.
23. Repeat with remaining strips.
24. I promise, there will be no leftovers, but if there are, they keep in a bag at room temperature for a few days.