4 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup canola oil
1 large chopped onion
1 jalapeno pepper -- seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic – minced or pressed
1 small package baby carrots – cut into thirds or regular size carrots cut up
6 celery ribs – diced
1 pound chicken – 4 chopped raw breasts or leftover chicken meat
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 Tablespoon chili powder
Juice of one lime
1 can chopped green chiles
2 cans low salt chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes with jalapenos or green chiles (Del Monte or Ro-Tel)
12 corn tortillas (or use your favorite corn tortilla chips, like Tostitos)
8 ounces sour cream – garnish
2 avocados – garnish
2 cups cheddar cheese – grated for garnish
2 Tablespoons Cilantro – chopped for garnish
Heat butter & oil in a large kettle & cook the chicken until white. Then add the
onion, jalapeno, garlic, carrots, & celery. Sauté about 5 minutes. If using cooked chicken, start with the onion mixture above. Add the cumin, chili powder, salt, cilantro, lime juice and can of chiles, stir to combine.
Cut 6 corn tortillas into pieces (or
1 cup of crushed chips) and add to pot then add the chicken broth and tomatoes; simmer 1 hour. The tortillas thicken and flavor the soup. Cut remaining tortillas into strips with a pizza cutter and fry in canola oil until crisp, turning once. Drain on paper towels.
Low fat option: spray with Pam and bake on cookie sheet in 325 degree oven
until crisp.
Another option, just use Tostitos. To serve: Put a few tortilla strips
in the bottom of soup bowls & add the soup. Top with a spoon of sour cream, some
avocado, cilantro and top w/ grated cheese. Or just eat the soup in a bowl and it is delicious!