I love Tortilla Soup and make many different yet similar versions of it. What’s so great about Tortilla Soup (in my mind, at least) is that it’s a bowl of hot, slightly spicy (how spicy is up to you), filling soup that’s just what I want on a cold winter day,  yet the flavours take me to southern California and I can pretend I’m sitting in the sun rather than shivering in the ice and snow.

The chipotle peppers in adobo sauce are a new obsession for me, but if you can’t get them, don’t want to use them because they’re too spicy or don’t like them, simply leave them out and add 1/2 – 1 tsp. chili powder.  If you have it, add 1/2 tsp. of smoked paprika as well.

The fresh, cool avocado that I add when serving the soup is something new for me.  The last couple of times I’ve made this soup I’ve added the avocado and love it.  The creamy, cool avocado is a great addition to the spicy, tart soup flavours.

Ingredients:

• 1 small red onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 medium orange pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 4 tomatillos, paper removed, cored and chopped
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, seeds removed and finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp. adobo sauce
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups tomato juice
• 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, diced 1/2″
• 19 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 avocado, chopped
• tortilla chips
• lime wedges
• extra cilantro

Over medium heat, saute the onion and orange pepper in the olive oil for 5-7 minutes, until soft.  Add the garlic, cumin, salt, black pepper and the tomatillo and cook another minute.

Add the chipotle and the adobo sauce and stir through. Add the stock and tomato juice, cover and bring to a boil on high heat.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the chicken and beans and cook for 2 minutes, then add the corn.  Cook another 8-10 minutes, or until the soup just comes back to the simmer, the corn is hot and the chicken has cooked through.

Add the lime juice and cilantro, stir through and taste, checking the seasoning and adjusting if necessary.

Top each bowl with diced avocado and serve with tortilla chips and extra lime wedges and chopped cilantro on the side.