Tortilla Soup w/ Chicken & Lime

Ingredients:

6 inch tortilla shells 4 each
Olive oil 2 T
Green peppers, small diced 2 each
Red onion, medium diced 1 small
Jalapeno, seeded, minced 1 each
Garlic , minced ¼ cup
Tomatoes, medium diced 2 each
Chicken base 2 T
Water, hot 1 quart
Tomato paste 1 cup
Bay leaf 1 each
Cumin, ground 1 T
Chipotle seasoning 1 t
Chili powder 1 T
Chicken breasts, 5 oz, grilled, sliced ½ inch 3 breasts
Green onions, sliced 2 each
Cilantro, fresh, chopped ¼ cup
Lime juice, fresh 2 T
Corn starch slurry as needed
Salt and Pepper as needed

Procedure:

Slice tortilla shells into 1/3 sections, stack sections on top of one another and slice across the width about ½ inch thick. Sauté in olive oil and allow to drain on absorbent towel, reserve for use as garnish at service. In large pot, sauté green pepper, red onion, & jalapeno pepper until onions are translucent. Add garlic and sauté a minute longer making sure not to burn the garlic. Add tomatoes, chicken base and water and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Add tomato paste, bay leaf, and seasonings, continue simmering for 10 minutes, add chicken, green onions, lime juice, thicken with cornstarch slurry, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if needed and toss in cilantro. Serve with fried tortillas as a garnish on top.

Note: Garnish on the side can include the chicken from the recipe, cilantro, lime juice, lime wedges, & fried tortillas