Tortilla Soup

From Big Mama, who got it from Antique Mommy, who got it from some restaurant in Dallas called The Mansion on Turtle Creek, who got it from… well, never mind. I got ahead of myself there. Regardless, I needed a good Tortilla Soup recipe and this sounds divine!

3 tablespoons olive oil
4-6 corn tortillas, diced
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
4-5 tablespoons of chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon of cumin
2 tablespoons of chili powder

Sauté all of the above until tortillas begin to crisp.

Add the following to the above and simmer.

1 cup onion puree
1 large can (29 oz) of tomato puree
2 quarts of chicken stock
Salt and Pepper to taste
Cayenne Pepper to taste

To serve:
Top with any or all of the following: diced grilled or baked chicken, avocado, shredded cheese, crisp fried strips of corn tortilla.

Dice the chicken, throw it in the pot, and serve the whole thing with an array of options to customize the soup-eating experience: diced avocado, monterey jack cheese, sour cream, and fried strips of corn tortilla.

***Edited to add that to fry the corn tortilla strips, you just need to buy a package of corn tortillas, cut them into long strips. Heat up oil in a skillet and then fry the strips until they are crispy and a little brown.