Tortilla Soup (Jennifer's Tortilla Soup) - Cafe Terra Cotta's Tortilla Soup

• 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 quarts (1900 ml) Basic Chicken stock
• 1 tsp (5 ml) chopped garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp (2 ml) oregano
• 3 or 4 peppercorns
• 2 chiltepin
• 2 cups (475 ml) Salsa Fresca
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Corn oil for frying
• 4 corn tortillas, cut into strips
• 1 ripe avocado, sliced thin
• 1 lime, cut into 12 wedges
• 3/4 cup (175 ml) Monterey jack cheese, grated

1. Heat the oil in a large pot and saut the onion until soft.
2. Add the stock, garlic, bay leaf, oregano, peppercorns, and chiltpin and simmer for 1 hour.
3. Puree 1-1/2 cups (350 ml) of the salsa fresca and add it to the soup.
4. Remove from the heat.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Fill a deep saucepan with corn oil to a depth of 2 inches and heat to 375 degrees (200 C.).
7. (If you don't have an oil thermometer, heat the oil until a piece of tortilla dropped in the oil sizzles immediately, but don't let the oil start smoking.)
8. Fry the tortilla strips until golden brown and crisp.
9. Divide the fried tortilla chips into wide soup bowls.
10. To the same bowls, add 2 or 3 slices of avocado, a lime wedge, and some grated cheese.
11. Pour in the hot broth, add a dollop of salsa, and serve immediately, with the additional lime wedges on the side.
12. Note: If you prefer not to deep-fry the tortillas, brush them lightly with oil before cutting into strips and bake on a cookie sheet in a 350 degree (175 C.) oven until dry and crisp.

olive oil, onion, chicken, garlic, bay leaf, oregano, peppercorns, chiltepin, salsa fresca, salt, oil, corn tortillas, avocado, lime, cheese

Taken from online-cookbook.com/goto/cook/rpage/001106 (may not work)