Ingredients

For the Soup:

• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 medium sweet yellow onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
• 1 medium red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
• 3 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 jalapeño, finely chopped (seeds and veins removed)
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp chili powder (preferably Ancho chili powder)
• 2 (15-ounce) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 6 cups low sodium chicken broth, maybe more
• 1 (4-ounce) can green chilies, undrained
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp kosher salt, or more to taste
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 6 (6-inch) yellow corn tortillas
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves and stems, coarsely chopped
• 3-4 cups chopped rotisserie or leftover chicken
• 6 ears fresh corn, cooked and cut from the cob OR 2 11-ounce cans of tiny crisp corn

For the Crispy Tortilla Strips:

• 6 (6- inch) corn tortillas
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

For the Soup:

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper and carrots and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to soften, 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeño, oregano, coriander, cumin, smoked paprika and chili powder. Continue to cook, stirring frequently for one more minute.

Add the fire-roasted tomatoes, chicken broth, brown sugar, green chilies, cilantro, salt, and black pepper.

Stack the corn tortillas and cut the stack in half. Stack both piles on top of each other then slices the tortillas into thin strips (about 1/4-inch thick). Add the tortilla strips to the pot with the other ingredients.

Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a steady simmer and cover the pot. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until the carrots are nice and tender. Add the coarsely chopped fresh cilantro. Using an immersion blender (or a regular blender), blend the soup until smooth but still a little chunky.

Add the chicken and corn and stir to combine. If you prefer a thinner soup, you can add a bit more broth at this point. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until everything is warmed through. Take a taste and add more kosher salt, as needed. Sprinkle the crispy tortilla strips over the top. Serve and enjoy!

For the Crispy Tortilla Strips:

Preheat the oven to 325˚F. Line a sheet pan with foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup.

Stack the corn tortillas and cut the stack in half. Stack both piles on top of each other then slices the tortillas into thin strips (about 1/4-inch thick).

Transfer the tortilla strips to the prepared pan and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with the salt. Using your hands, toss the tortilla strips to coat them with the oil, then spread them out to a single layer on the pan.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden and slightly crisp (they will crisp up more as they cool.), tossing with a tongs to redistribute every 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the pan.

Store in an airtight container.

Recipe from The Cafe Sucre Farine