Chicken Avocado Tortilla Soup

Here's a new recipe we tried the other night...not new, actually, but new to us. It's in the same Sunset Magazine as this recipe. By the way, we had a lovely lunch with Pat (he that I mentioned on his birthday wish post) and other lovely folks on Monday, and I made the same tomato and bread crumb pasta again. Still yummy. Pat, in lieu of flowers, brought heirloom tomatoes and champagne. And cake. To his own birthday celebration! So, Tuesday night, we had this soup for dinner, along with some arugula and Pat's heirloom tomatoes. Very yummy. Seems like the soup might work with tofu instead of chicken for you non meat eaters. ;)

Chicken Avocado Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:
1/3 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 cups fat-free chicken broth
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles
10 (6 inch) corn tortillas
1 1/2 pounds boned, skinned chicken breasts
1 (1/2 pound) firm ripe avocado
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Salt
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:
In a 5- to 6-quart nonstick pan over medium heat, stir onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, chili powder, and pepper until spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Add broth, tomatoes (including juice), and green chilies. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.

Meanwhile, stack tortillas and cut into 1/8-inch-wide strips. Add to boiling broth. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Rinse chicken and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Peel the avocado, pit, and thinly slice. Add chicken to broth and return to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until chicken is white in center (cut to test), about 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro and salt to taste. Ladle into soup bowls, garnish with avocado, and add cheese to taste.

NOTES (from Sunset): The thinly sliced corn tortillas that Audrey Thibodeau of Gilbert, Arizona, adds to this dish thicken the soup as they dissolve.
(from J): I used shredded Mexican blend cheese instead of Cheddar. Very yummy.