Tortilla Soup

1 large onion, sliced
8 garlic cloves, minced
6 Tablespoons vegetable oil, plus additional for
frying tortillas
7 green chiles, stemmed and seeded
4 cups water
5 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
8 cups chicken broth
Salt and Pepper to taste
12 corn tortillas, cut into strips
1-1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 avocados

1. In a stock pot, cook onion and garlic in 4 Tablespoons
oil over medium heat, stirring until soft. Increase
heat and add chiles, stirring to avoid burning. Cook
for 1 minute or until soft. Remove 1 chile and cut
into 10 strips, reserve for garnish.
2. To the pot, add 4 cups water and tomatoes and bring
the liquid to a boil. Simmer mixture for 30 minutes.
3. In a blender, puree the mixture in batches.
4. In pot, heat 2 Tablespoons of remaining oil over
medium heat until hot, but not smoking. Return the
puree and cook, stirring for 5 minutes. Stir in the
broth, salt and pepper. Simmer soup for 15 minutes.
5. In a large skillet, heat 1/2-inch of additional oil
over high heat until hot, but not smoking. Fry the
tortilla strips in batches, stirring for 30 seconds
until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
6. Divide fried tortillas among 10 heated bowls. Pour
the soup over them and top each one with 1 strip of
the reserved chile. Sprinkle each serving with some
shredded cheese and top soup with sliced avocado
wedges.

NOTE: Serve with warm buttered tortillas and a fresh
fruit salad.

SERVES: 10