Holly's Tortilla Soup

Total Time: 1 hr 40 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (1 tsp. jarred minced garlic)
• 1 (4 ounce) can green chilies, diced drained
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (holly's version calls for 2 tbsp)
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can tomatoes, diced, undrained (holly's calls for only 8 ounces,drained)
• 1 (10 ounce) can ro-tel tomatoes and green chilies, diced (my version)
• 4 cups chicken broth (holly's calls for only 2 cups)
• 2 cups beef broth (holly's calls for only 1 cup)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried mexican oregano (my version)
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste, optional (my version)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt, to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper, to taste
• 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded (or any cheese you prefer)
• 3 -6 tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch strips (i use flour tortillas, holly uses corn tortillas)
• 6 tablespoons sour cream, optional garnish (my version)
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced, optional garnish (my version)

Recipe

• 1 saute onion, garlic and green chilies in oil in a large soup pot until onions are tender, about 5-10 minutes.
• 2 add tomtatoes,both types of broth seasonings, and worcestershire sauce, and some salt & pepper to taste.
• 3 simmer 45 minutes-1 hour, covered.
• 4 holly's step: meanwhile, pop torn corn tortilla strips onto a baking sheet and let them toast lightly until crisp for a few minuts (at about 350f),watch carefully so they don't burn; let them cool slightly.
• 5 my step: if i am using flour tortilla, i just cut them into strips with kitchen shears and skipthe toasting part, adding them to the soup as directed below.
• 6 when soup is ready,test for seasonings and adjust as needed, then top with tortilla strips and let simmer 10 minutes (the tortillas will soften and turn into noodles/dumplings) -- if you prefer more broth, less noodle, use fewer tortillas, but we like how the tortilla dumplings thicken the soup and absorb all the yummy spices.
• 7 top each serving with a bit of shredded cheese, sour cream, and cilantro as desired.