Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is a soup long over due for Jessi and I. We actually made it a couple of weeks ago when pretty much the whole country was covered in snow, STILL! Let me tell you—this will warm you up! It's the perfect "feel-good" soup on a cold day or just when you need a soup for the soul... hey, wasn't that a book? The thing I love is that it has all the good things you make in fajitas, but more of it & you don't have to worry about it falling out of a burrito all over yourself. The soup's base has just enough kick to keep it spicy while the cheddar adds that extra dash of creamy, almost smokey flavor. Just when you think you're in pure soup ecstasy you crunch down on a little tortilla slice of heaven. This is when it happens - all your worldly worries melt away just like the cheddar. To make it a little more healthy we added in a power-green, chard! However you may use kale or spinach instead. A heavily modified—so we're calling it an original—recipe. Absolutely delicious!
Serves 6.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs chicken thighs, skinned (3-4 large thighs)
  
• 2 chiles in adobe sauce, plus 1 tbsp of the sauce
  
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
  
• 1 medium white onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 4 cups chicken broth
  
• 2 cups water
• 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
  
• 4 cups chopped chard
  
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 ripe large avocado, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 2 cups roughly broken baked-tortilla chips
• 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  
• 1 lime, cut into 6 wedges

Directions

1. Place enough water that will cover chicken in a medium-sized saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Add chicken and cook for 8-10 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from pot and set aside until cool. Pull chicken with a fork/fingers. Set aside.
   
3. Meanwhile, put adobe chiles, 1 tbsp of the adobe sauce and the diced tomatoes/juice into a blender.
4. Heat 1.5 tablespoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, 6 to 9 minutes.
   
5. Pour the onion and garlic into the blender with the tomato mixture. Process until smooth.
6. Return the Dutch oven to medium heat. When hot, add the tomato puree mixture and stir nearly constantly until thickened, about 6 minutes.
   
7. Add broth and water. Bring to a boil, then adjust heat to maintain a simmer. Add chicken and beans to the soup and simmer for 30 minutes.
8. Add chard and season with salt to taste, depending on the saltiness of the broth. Cook, stirring, until the greens are wilted, about 2-3 minutes.
9. Ladle the soup into bowls. Divide avocado, tortilla chips and cheese among the bowls. Serve warm, with lime wedges.