Tex-Mex Tortilla Soup
A staple of Tex-Mex and Southwestern cuisine, corn tortillas are sliced and simmered like noodles in a clean, bright broth accented with lime juice.
SERVES 6
In a soup pot, sauté the onion in olive oil until translucent. Add green chilies, tomatoes, and chicken broth.
Bring to a boil, add chicken meat, tortilla strips, and cumin, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
Cut one lime in half and add the juice to the soup pot. Cut the other lime in wedges to serve with each bowl.
Season the soup with salt, pepper, cayenne-pepper sauce, and cilantro.
Put diced avocado in soup bowls, ladle soup into bowls, garnish with cheese and tortilla chips, and serve with lime wedges.
Variations on a Theme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I have observed that there are basically three different styles of tortilla soup and countless variations within them. In Tex-Mex cuisine it is often a clear brothy soup; in the Southwestern cuisine of Arizona and New Mexico it often has a Native American influence with blue corn tortillas; and in California it is often a purée with fresh corn in it.
