Tortilla Soup with Shredded Chicken and Dices Avocado

I've made this soup once before, and it was just as delightful to eat the second time! The Pioneer Woman inspired this blog post with her own Chicken Tortilla soup recipe. This is my first time trying to photograph food, so bear with me! But despite what the photos look like, this easy soup recipe is a must try!! Recipe serves four (4).

 

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Salt
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle powder (You can use Cumin as a substitute)
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes and their juices
5 cups low-salt chicken broth
2 cups shredded leftover chicken
1 ripe avocado, pitted and diced
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Freshly ground black pepper
3 cups tortilla strips (recipe follows) or 1 1/2 cups tortilla chips broken into large pieces
1 lime, cut into wedges, for serving

 

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the onion and garlic, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring often, until the onion softens and becomes translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the chili powder and chipotle powder and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and their juices and cook for a couple of minutes to heat through. Carefully transfer this to a blender or food processor and purée it, then return it to the saucepan along with the broth and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, stir in the chicken, and cook for 15 minutes to heat through.
(To cook chicken, take about 4 chicken breasts and place in oven-safe pan. Drizzle with some olive oil, sprinkle on some spice and cook at 375* for about 25 minutes...you can also boil it or just buy a rotisserie chicken and shred it! )

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, gently toss the avocado with half the lime juice and half the cilantro, then season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Stir the remaining lime juice and cilantro into the broth and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the soup with a large spoonful of the avocado mixture and a handful of the tortilla strips. 

Afternoon delight || Cleveland, TN Nature Photography

Most of us know spring is coming by the way our allergies act up or by losing an hour of sleep when daylight savings time starts. But here in the Southeast region of Tennessee, things are starting to bloom. It's a beautiful sight to see... dandelions and daffodils, the Bradford Pear and cherry trees, the grass is green and the trees are budding. I went out this afternoon to capture a little of our spring in hopes of brightening your day, wherever you may be!