Tortilla Chicken Soup

• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or 1 chicken breast and 1 thigh
• 1- tablespoons of Spice Islands chicken flavoring powder
• 3/4 cup onion, chopped in small pieces
• 4 - 5 cloves garlic, pressed
• Lawrys garlic salt, 3-4 large dashes
• About ten pieces (cut into small pieces) of Jalapeno from jar of hot Victoria jalapenos
• 3/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp chili powder (slightly heaping)
• 1/4 -1/2tsp pepper
• 3/4 tsp ground cumin
• 7 -8 cups of rich, home made chicken stock (see recipe)
• 1, 14 oz can S & W Mexican, stewed tomatoes
• 2+Tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 Tablespoons + fresh cilantro, snipped
• 3-4 heaping Tablespoons black bean corn salsa (from Cost Plus or Safeway Desert Pepper corn black bean red pepper salsa if psbl) Plus 2-3 Tablespoons of refried black beans Rosarita or any good brand (I now like this soup best with both but you can use just one.
• firm, ripe avocado, cut in cubes for topping
• 4-5, six inch wide corn tortillas
• med- sharp cheddar cheese, grated for topping
• cilantro snipped for topping
• sour cream

1. Place olive oil in pan. Snip chicken breast into approx 1 1/2 - 2" pieces, and place with olive oil in pan. Place crushed garlic and chopped, fresh onion in pan with chicken pieces. Add finely-snipped pieces of jalapeno pepper. Saute and add Spice Islands chicken flavor powder till chicken is just-done. Sprinkle lightly with garlic salt. Add oregano, chili powder, cumin and cooked chicken broth. Add Mexican stewed tomatoes, tomato paste, cilantro, black bean corn salsa and refried black beans. Simmer till nicely mixed. Add corn tortillas (place stacked tortillas on a plate, and slice into 1/2" strips). Add these strips to soup and simmer about 10 minutes+.
2. Place in bowl and top with a generous amount of grated cheese, cubes of chopped avocado and sprinkle of cilantro leaves, topped with a dollop of sour cream. You can also use a few, toasted strips of corn tortillas if you choose.
3. Chicken Stock:
4. Cover cleaned, chicken pieces from which you have removed as much fat as possible, with cold water in large pan. Add leafy stalks of celery, fresh parsley, Spice Islands chicken flavoring, fresh carrots, cut fresh onions, kitchen boquet flavoring (a little), celery salt, poultry seasoning. Cook to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, covered for at least an hour. Taste the stock for seasoning. Remove the chicken pieces to a plate, remove skin and bones, and return to pan if you are going to make chicken soup . Depending on the amount of chicken you put in pan = the amount and richness of the stock. Skim fat from pan.

olive oil, chicken breasts, chicken, onion, garlic, lawrys garlic salt, victoria, oregano, chili powder, ubc, ground cumin, chicken, w mexican, tomato paste, fresh cilantro, black bean corn salsa, avocado, corn tortillas, cheddar cheese, cilantro, sour cream

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/tortilla-chicken-soup-50102689 (may not work)