Homemade Recipe: Tortilla Soup

Here it is! My super secret tortilla soup recipe! Okay, it's not really super secret but whatever. Here's what you'll need:

• 1.5 pounds of chicken (usually I use breast but I've also just thrown in half a small chicken before. But it you use dark meat and/or skin be prepared to skim the grease.)
• a 16 ounce can of diced tomatoes
• a can of corn (I just use whatever size I happen to have usually 14 ounces)
• 3 to 4 cans of chicken broth
• salt, pepper, and sugar to taste
• a large brown onion diced
• 4 cloves of garlic chopped finely
• 1 to 2 chipotle peppers (bought in a small can with adobo sauce. You'll want about 2 teaspoons of that adobo sauce.) Put more if your mouth can stand it. Be sure to put in that adobe sauce!

Condiments:

• tortilla chips (or strips if you feel like cutting and frying some corn tortillas)
• shredded cheese (I usually just buy a bag of shredded "mexican" blend cheese but you can also used monterey jack, colby, cheddar, or a blend of the three)
• sliced avocados (if you like, I don't usually.)

Start by searing the chicken a bit with some oil in a 4-quart pot (or whatever large pot you have available) on medium-high heat until you get some nice browning. Add the onions and garlic and let them cook until you get a good aroma and sizzling. After that, you can put all the other ingredients in and let it simmer for at least 30 minutes, but longer if you like. Be sure to taste the soup and add salt, pepper, and sugar to suit your tastes. Serve with chips and cheese. Makes 6 - 8 servings.
It's soup! Taste it while it's cooking to make it to your liking. Don't be afraid to experiment by adding and subtracting ingredients, adjusting amounts and what not.