Do you love tacos? Do you love soup? Well you are in the right place. I remember trying Earls tortilla soup back in 2012 and falling in love with it. This is my twist on Earls version, adding in some spices for depth and corn and chicken to make it a hearty meal. There isn’t much heat to it but if you can handle kicking it up a knotch, add your favorite hot sauce directly in with the lime juice. Feel free to use the store-bought tortilla chips but I promise you the home made ones are worth the extra work. Don’t skimp on the garnish! So let’s make some soup. This recipe will make you approximately 9 cups.

For Crispy Tortilla Strips
• ¼ cup canola oil
• 6 corn tortillas, old and dried out

For Soup
• 1 tblsp canola oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced (approx 1 cup)
• 2 tsp of minced garlic (or 4 cloves)
• 1 poblano pepper, deseeded and finely diced (approx 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 can of 28 oz can of fire roasted crushed tomatoes (just shy of 2 cups)
• 4 roma tomatoes, peeled and deseeded, chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin (more to taste)
• 1 tsp ground chili powder (more to taste)
• Salt and pepper, start with ¼ tsp each then to taste
• 4 cups of good quality chicken broth
• 2 chicken breast (or 1 lb), boneless, skinless
• 12 oz can of Niblet corn, drained
• 1 tblsp of lime juice (approx half a lime)

For Garnish
• Avocado, diced
• Sour cream
• Shredded cheddar
• Roughly diced fresh cilantro
• Hot sauce (I love Valentinas)

1. To make your corn tortilla chips, slice the tortilla into thin strips. Bake for 15 minutes at 200 degrees to get out excess moisture. Heat your oil over medium high to a temperature of 325 degrees. In small batches, fry the strips and place on a paper towel to dry. Set aside for garnish.
2. Add the remaining oil to pot over medium high heat. Add in onions and pepper, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and sautee until onions are translucent and peppers look soft.
3. Add garlic and sautee for 30 seconds more being careful not to burn the garlic .Add in your spices and toast for another 30 seconds.
4. Add your tomatoes, both diced and canned, and mix. Let simmer for 10 minutes for flavors to infuse, stirring regularly.
5. Add chicken broth and bring back up to a strong simmer and let simmer another 10 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and using an immersion blender, puree the mixture until smooth. Place back on the burner on high heat.
7. Add in corn, chicken breasts salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce covered to a low simmer, about 30 minutes.
8. Remove chicken and use a hand or stand mixer to shred before adding it back in. At this point, taste to confirm flavors are as they should be and adjust as needed. Simmer for another 15 minutes, low and covered.
9. Remove from heat and add lime juice, adjust to taste.
10. Place soup in each bowl. Garnish with tortilla strips, sour cream, avocado, cheese and optional cilantro and hot sauce. Enjoy

Let me know if you make it and how it turns out in the comment section below!