Recipe: Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe (not Midtown Deli)

Midtown Deli's recipe is not available on the Internet. Perhaps you can tweak this recipe. Good luck and please share your results with us.

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CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP

FOR THE TORTILLA STRIPS:
Fried flour or corn tortilla strips (about seven 6 inch tortillas - you can use different colored tortillas if you wish)
Option: Bake tortillas in a preheated 400 degree F oven on a baking pan in single layer for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
Option: Use crumbled tortilla chips from the store (again, use may use two or three different colored chips)
FOR THE SOUP:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 3/4 teaspoons Ancho chile powder (or regular chile powder if you don't have Ancho)
1 3/4 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
1 jalapeno pepper, peeled and seeded (wear disposable latex gloves - peppers can burn you)
1/4 bunch washed and chopped cilantro + 1/2 cup more for garnish
1 1/2 cups canned, drained, squeezed tomatoes
6 cups chicken stock or water (if using water, add 2 1/2 tablespoons of chicken base)
12 ounces cooked, chopped chicken (or turkey)
2/3 cup corn masa mixed with water (available in most grocery super markets or Mexican grocery stores) (or use 3 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with water until smooth, adding only enough to thicken soup to correct consistency)
1 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper or to taste
FOR GARNISHES:
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese or a mix of grated cheddar and Monterrey Jack (or your choice)
1 cup sour cream (optional)
1/2 cup (as noted above) chopped cilantro
Lime wedges to squeeze into soup (optional)

TO MAKE THE TORTILLA STRIPS:
Cut tortillas into 1/2 inch wide strips and fry in hot oil until crisp or bake in oven (as noted above). If fried, drain the tortilla strips on paper towels and set aside until serving the soup.

TO PREPARE THE SOUP:
Heat olive oil over medium-low heat in a large soup pot
When oil is hot, add onions and saute until half cooked, then add garlic and saute until onions are soft.

Raise the heat to medium or medium-high, add chile powder, cumin, crushed red pepper, jalapenos, cilantro, and tomatoes
Saute until tomatoes are soft (when mixture comes to a boil, turn the heat down to low to keep the mixture simmering).

Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add cooked, chopped chicken and the masa/water mixture and bring to a boil
Lower heat and simmer to thicken tortilla soup

TO SERVE:
Put crisp tortilla strips into a soup bowl and ladle the soup over them; then garnish with cheese, a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cilantro.

If you wish to have guests serve themselves, just allow them to ladle their soup into a bowl and use the garnishes they prefer. If you wish to serve at the table, use a tureen and ladle meant for the table and then allow the guests to garnish according to their desires.

Makes 8-10 servings
Source: Real Restaurant Recipes