One of my favorite go-to recipe books that I have had the pleasure of dog-earring the pages, splattering broth on and and jotting down notes in the margins for a good five to six years now is Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats. It is entirely user-friendly, unintimidating and full of an array of every kind of style dish you find yourself craving. On my list of top five favorites from this book is her Chicken Tortilla Soup with Lime (recipe no. 97 in the book!). I made it recently and Chris and I were both reminded of what a hearty, flavorful soup it is. We make a couple of adjustments when we make ours. I’ll note of the changes when we come to it! So, without further ado, here’s how its made:

Your ingredients.

Chopped green bell pepper

Chopped jalapeno pepper

Chopped medium white onion

Chopped celery ribs

1 Tablespoon ground coriander

2 cups tortilla chips

Smash ’em in a large zip lock bag

Add the crushed chips to the already simmering peppers, onion, garlic, celery and spices.

Add a quart of chicken stock

Add the chicken to the pot. Here is change number one: we use the meat from a rotisserie chicken. I prefer this method because I don’t have to cook the chicken and it is already so moist and flavorful.

Begin to prepare the garnishes with thinly sliced green onion.

Quartered lime.

Change number two: We add avocado as a garnish because why wouldn’t you add it to a dish with these flavors? 🙂

Change number three: Instead of using sour cream, I prefer to use plain greek yogurt as it is lower in fat, has greater health benefits and pretty much tastes the same as sour cream!

When your garnishes are all prepared, give the soup a final stir and taste test. I actually like to squeeze in the juice of a lime as a last step.

Load your bowl up with the soup and all the toppings. Psst! This part is a winning activity for the kids. It makes them feel empowered, like they have a say in how thier dinner comes together!

This soup is so delicious and makes you feel warm and cozy on a cold winter evening.

Please enjoy! The recipe is below:

Chicken Tortilla Soup with Lime

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)

11/2 pounds chicken tenders (or the meat of a rotisserie chicken)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped

1 large onion, chopped

1 jalapeno, minced

2 celery ribs, finely chopped

1/2 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground coriander

2 cups tortilla chips

2 teaspoon hot sauce, like tobasco

1 quart chicken stock

1/2 cup sour cream, for garnish (or plain greek yogurt)

Zest and juice of 2 limes

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

4 scallions, thinly sliced

Preheat a medium soup pot over medium-high heat and add the EVOO (twice around the pan). Chop the chicken tenders into bite-size pieces. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the hot soup pot. Lightly brown the chicken, 3 to 4 minutes, then add the garlic, bell peppers, onions, jalapenos, celery, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. Continue to cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

While that is cooking, place the tortilla chips in a food processor and process until well ground. If you don’t have a food processor, place the chips in a sealable plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Add the ground tortilla chips to the soup pot and stir to combine. Add the chicken stock and bring the soup to a simmer. Simmer the soup for 15 minutes.

Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the sour cream. Pass the lime zest, shopped cilantro and sliced scallions in shallow bowls for each person to add to taste.

Makes 4 servings