Cooking with dad mexican style - chicken tortilla soup

Here's a nice little kitchen project with a mexican flavour. A great dish to cook with your kids and they'll marvel at how easy it is to bake your own tortilla chips. A great recipe for throwing a fiesta or adding some variety to your diet.

What You Need:

* 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cooked and shredded – roasted chicken makes for really flavorful soup
* 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
* 1 yellow onion, chopped
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 teaspoon chili powder
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1 bay leaf
* 1/2 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped - Be sure to wear rubber gloves when handling chili peppers and avoid contact with the eyes.
* 10 cups organic chicken stock
* 2 tablespoons tomato paste
* 1 can of black beans or other favorite beans, rinsed and drained
* 1 cup cooked corn or hominy
* 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
* 1 avocado, diced
* Fresh lime
* Cayenne pepper
* Queso fresco or other favorite cheese
* Light sour cream (optional)
* 10-12 extra thin, 6” corn tortillas


What You Do:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large stockpot, heat the oil over medium high heat.
3. Have your child add the onion and garlic to the pot and cook for three minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. To the pot, add the broth, tomato paste, jalapeno, chili powder, oregano, cumin and bay leaf. Bring to a boil.
5. Add the chicken, beans, and corn and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
6. While the soup simmers, make your own tortilla strips. Cut the tortillas into little strips and layer them on a baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes, or until they are crispy. Keep an eye on them so they don't burn. Bake the tortillas in a couple of batches and let them cool.

Done - ladle the soup into a bowl and top with a dash of cayenne pepper, cilantro, avocado, squeeze of lime, dollop of sour cream, cheese and tortilla strips.

Provided by Education.com