Ron’s Tortilla Soup with Chicken and Lime

(Begin drinking a favorite beverage)

10 to 12 six inch corn tortillas
1 tablespoon of olive oil
6 cups of chicken broth
1 teaspoon ground sage
2 cans of Mexican style tomatoes
2 cans of regular tomatoes (if you want it hotter use all Mexican tomatoes)
1 can whole kernel corn (drained)
1 tablespoon of diced garlic
1 tablespoon of ground cumin
½ teaspoon of ground red pepper
2 whole chicken breasts (that’s 4 halves)
1 medium onion, diced
1 teaspoon ground oregano
1 bunch of green onions (6 to 10), diced
1 bunch of fresh parsley – Dice the leafy top part of the bunch, throw away most of the stem
1 lime (about ¼ cup), juice only
1 bag of shredded colby jack cheese

(If needed, freshen your beverage of choice)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush one side of the corn tortillas lightly with olive oil. Stack the tortillas and cut them in half. Stack the two halves together and cut into ¼ inch strips. Scatter them on a cookie sheet and bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on the cookie sheet.

Put 6 cups of broth and sage into a cooking pot. Add the whole chicken breasts. Begin cooking on medium heat. EXCEPT FOR THE TORTILLAS, GREEN ONIONS, CILANTRO, LIME JUICE AND CHEESE, add the remaining ingredients to the pot with the chicken and broth. Stir.

When the chicken is done (about 15 to 20 minutes), remove the chicken from the broth and set aside to cool. Reduce heat to low. When the chicken has cooled enough to handle, shred it. (Don’t chop it into little cubes.) Shred it into long, stringy pieces and return it to the soup mixture.

(Be careful not to forget to freshen your beverage as needed.)

Ad ½ of the tortilla strips to the soup. Also add the chopped cilantro, green onions, and lime juice. Stir it thoroughly.

After the soup is in a bowl, garnish with shredded cheese and if needed, additional tortilla strips, cilantro or green onions.

Goes great with cheese nachos or enchiladas.

(How’s that beverage holding out?)