Tortilla soup

This is my favorite tortilla soup recipe — quick, easy, light, and warming, with a zing from lime juice.

p{color:gray}. Photo: Rosie gets carried away by the yummy soup and starts nibbling her own toes.

I modified this recipe from a “version”:http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/perfect-tortilla-soup?autonomy_kw=tortilla%20soup found in the September 2005 issue of Everyday Food magazine. Our girls really like it, too — although we do get the occasional tomato hurled to the floor. Enjoy!

h3. Tortilla Soup

Feeds four humans — two full-grown and two pint-sized

* 8 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast
* 5 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 t coriander (or cumin, if you prefer)
* 2 jalapeno peppers, minced, seeds and ribs removed (optional, and we eliminate this when serving to munchkins)
* 1 t kosher salt
* freshly ground black pepper
* 1 c (or more) frozen corn kernels
* 3 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped (or a heaping cup of canned diced tomatoes works in a pinch)
* the juice of 1 lime
* 1 avocado, sliced
* chopped cilantro
* tortilla chips

Bring 5 cups of water to boil. Add chicken, garlic, coriander, salt, and pepper. Simmer chicken until done, 5-10 minutes (depending on the size of your chicken breast). Remove chicken to cool, reserve broth in pot.

[At this point, in the Boyd household, we turn off the stove and take a walk to “North Park University”:http://www.northpark.edu/ to pick up the Papa. :) It’s a nice breaking point if you need one!]

Return broth to simmer. Shred or slice chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add corn and tomatoes; simmer for 2-3 minutes. Return chicken to pot, add lime juice, and test for seasonings.

Serve garnished with sliced avocado, chopped cilantro, and crumbled tortilla chips.