Tortilla Soup

It is starting to feel like Fall!

I love the cooler temperatures,

the time spent outside,

the football games,

and THE SOUP!

 Here is a family fave...

 Uncle Marty's Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

2 whole roasted chickens (I like the Mesquite flavored rotisserie but any will do) - can be bought @ grocery store already cooked

6 cans 14 oz Butterball Chicken broth

5 cans 14 oz Del Monte Mexican Style or Fire Roasted w/ garlic Diced Tomatoes (Hunt’s)

2 cans Rotel Festival Diced Tomatoes w/ Lime Juice & Cilantro (3 if you want)

1 cup of Joe T. Garcia's Green Tomatillo Sauce (can be bought @ Kroger)

4 tsp fresh minced garlic (5 tsp if you like garlic)

4 tsp ground cumin

Ground chili powder

5 tbsp butter or margarine

1 bunch Cilantro (if you like cilantro get 2 bunches)

2 large white onions

1 green bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

1 red bell pepper

Bag of Limes (usually 6-8 depending on how many you are feeding)

1 bag of Monterrey Jack Shredded Cheese

1 bag of Corn Tortillas (12 ct )

    Cook garlic in the butter in dutch oven or like container on med - high heat for 2 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent garlic from burning. Add 3 tsp cumin into garlic butter mixture and stir for about 1 minute. Add broth, diced tomatoes, rotel, tomatillo sauce, onions (chopped or sliced), bell peppers (chopped or sliced), 1 tbsp chili powder, 1/2 bunch cilantro leaves chopped w/o stems; 

    As the soup begins to cook, separate all the meat from the chickens and hand shred into soup; Bring to boil. Stir often. Reduce heat, add another 1 tbsp chili powder (optional), add 1 tsp cumin, cover for 30 - 45 minutes but stir often.

    Cut corn tortillas into 1/4" strips w/ knife (3 at a time works well for me), Slice limes into 4 quarters (hand roll each one before cutting to increase the juices). If you have a juicer use it w/ the limes. It creates more fresh lime juice.

    Remove from heat, ladle soup into bowl of your choice (I like a big one), squeeze 1 - 2 lime quarters into soup or pour fresh lime juice from the juicer (as much as you want to your taste), place tortilla strips on top of soup, sprinkle cilantro and cheese on top of soup ( as much as you like of each) and EAT EAT EAT!

Jalapeno cornbread is a great compliment   NO crackers allowed!

This will serve 15-20+ depending on the size of your bowls.

Note: I do a few things differently...I bake chicken breasts and shred them, I buy the "Hint of Lime" tortilla chips, I do not sprinkle cilantro on top of mine--but I do have it available...ENJOY!