Ingredients

Scale

1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 Tablespoon butter
2/3 cup chopped onion
2 – 4 cloves garlic, peeled & chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
8 cups chicken broth
1 pint fire-roasted tomatoes (or a 15-oz. can of tomatoes)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
2 bay leaves
3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 – 2 hot peppers (jalapenos or salsa peppers), chopped (more or less to taste)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
For serving: tortilla chips and shredded sharp cheddar and/or pepper jack cheese

Instructions

In a soup pot, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat, then add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the carrot and saute a few minutes longer.
Stir in the broth, tomatoes, spices and bay leaves. Reduce heat to medium low and let cook for 20 – 30 minutes. Stir in the chicken and hot peppers and adjust the heat to your liking by adding more hot pepper as desired.
Stir in the cilantro. To serve, put several tortilla chips in the bottom of a bowl, top with cheese, then pour the hot soup over. Eat it before the chips get soggy!

Notes

To make a great homemade chicken broth: clean the meat off of a roasted chicken, then cover the carcass in water and add large hunks of onion, garlic, and carrot to the water along with a bay leaf. Boil/simmer for 30 minutes or more. Strain out the bones and veggies. Stir in Better than Boullion or salt & freshly ground pepper to taste.

RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/

© Copyright 2016, Sumptuous Spoonfuls. All images & content are copyright protected. I love it when you share, but please do not use my images on your own site/page without prior permission. If you want to publish any of my images, please ask first. Sharing, pinning, and tweeting is always appreciated as long as the shares and pins link back to here for the recipe. If you want to republish this recipe as your own, please re-write the recipe in your own words or link back to this post for the recipe.