FOOD: Classic Chicken Tortilla Soup

Hey guys! Jen from Lemon Drop Love here and wow it's been a while! Hope you had a nice holiday season. I had a sweet little baby girl in October and cooking has been a struggle in my house since her debut. But today I wanted to kick start the year with a healthy chicken tortilla soup from one of my very favorite chefs, Rick Bayless.

I love all his restaurants and one of them actually catered my wedding, how big of a fan I am of this guy and his food! I have always wanted to cook tortilla soup and I finally got around to it. I'm not sure why I was so intimidated by this dish before, because after making it I realize just how easy and delicious it is. I have a feeling I will be making more and more of this soup until I can get a handle on the kitchen and cooking again. Hope you enjoy!

Classic Chicken Tortilla Soup

INGREDIENTS: (recipe adapted via Rick Bayless)
1 large dried New Mexico chile
One15-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
1 medium white onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 quarts chicken broth
1 rotisserie chicken, breasts removed and skinned and then shredded
1 large ripe avocado, peeled and cut into cubes
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded cheese, Monterey Jack or mild cheddar
4 cups roughly broken tortilla chips
Lime wedges for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Break the chile into pieces and put in a blender along with the tomatoes and their juices. Heat the oil in a large (4 quart) pot over medium-high. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 7 minutes. Scoop the onion and garlic and transfer to the blender. Process until smooth.
Return the pot to medium-high heat. Once hot, add the puree and stir constantly until thickened to the consistency of tomato paste, about 6-minutes. Add the broth. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and season with salt.
Just before serving, add the chicken to the simmering broth. Serve and garnish with cheese, avocado, chips and a lime wedge.