Chicken Tortilla Soup


2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, chopped fine
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 fully-cooked rotisserie chicken
28-oz can of diced tomatoes
28-oz can of enchilada sauce
4-oz can of chopped green chilies
2 generous Tablespoons of tomato paste
1 Tablespoon dried cilantro
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne (ground red pepper)
2 Tablespoons cornmeal
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups monterey jack cheese with jalapeno, shredded
1 avocado, diced

Remove meat from chicken and place in bowl.  Cut into fine pieces with kitchen shears.

In a large soup pot, saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat.  When onions are translucent, stir in tomatoes.  Before I added my diced tomatoes, I cut them into much smaller pieces with my kitchen shears. Then I had to snip at them some more after I added them to the pot. It seems the vegetable canning factory models their tomato dicing after the large dice you find in Vegas souvenier shops, instead of the small regulation-size dice they use on the craps tables.

Then add chicken, enchilada sauce, chilies, tomato paste, cilantro, cumin, cayenne, and cornmeal.

Heat to a near boil and add chicken broth.  Then stir in the cheese until melted.  Right before serving, stir in the avocado unless you want to save it as garnish.  Ladle into bowls and top with tortilla strips or crumbled tortilla chips, some extra cheese and avocado.

Enjoy!