Ingredients:
* 4 cups chicken stock
* juice of 1 lime, or about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons
* 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with juice
* 1/2 Jalapeno pepper, finely chopped, optional
* 1 can mild green chiles, undrained (4 ounces)
* 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
* 2 green onions, with most of the green, chopped
* 1 medium carrot, diced
* 3/4 cup corn kernels, frozen, fresh, or canned drained
* 1 cup cooked chopped chicken
* 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese or a shredded Mexican blend
* 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
* Salt to taste
* vegetable oil
* 3 corn tortillas cut in strips about 1/2-inch wide or purchased corn tortilla chips
Preparation:
Simmer chicken stock with tomatoes, lime juice, jalapeno, green chiles, cilantro, green onion, carrots, and corn for 45 minutes; add chicken about 5 minutes before done.
Heat about 1 inch of vegetable in a deep saucepan to approximately 360° or use a deep fryer. Cook tortilla strips in batches until crispy - just a few seconds for each batch. Top each bowl of soup with tortilla strips and shredded cheese, or serve on the side.
Serves 4.
It's honestly scary how much I'm willing to fudge in a recipe these days. In this one I fudged the amount of stock with some water and a bullion cube, scrapped the cilantro, and replaced the green chiles and jalapeno pepper with a banana pepper and some salsa verde.