Chicken Tortilla Soup

Dan found this recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup online and we gave it a try. Rather than making our own stock while cooking the chicken, I just poached the chicken in store bought chicken broth before shredding it - which passed a little extra flavor on to the broth for the soup and got the job done of cooking the chicken. We also opted for store bought chips instead of frying our own tortilla strips, making this easy enough for a weeknight (even if we did it on a Sunday).

Chicken Tortilla Soup
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium white onions, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 jalapenos, seeded and minced
3 ripe medium tomatoes, chopped
1 quart chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Tortilla Chips
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 avocados, halved, pitted, peeled, and diced
1 cup shredded Jack cheese, optional
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
1 lime, cut in wedges, for serving

Place a stockpot over medium heat and coat with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the onions, garlic, jalapenos, and tomatoes; cook, stirring for 15 minutes until the vegetables are cooked down and pulpy. Pour in the stock, season with salt and pepper, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Ladle the hot soup into 4 soup bowls and put a pile of shredded chicken on top of each. Top with diced avocado, tortilla chips and cheese. Garnish with cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

Recipe adapted from Tyler Florence's recipe on FoodNetwork.com