Best Chicken Tortilla Soup ...Ever!

Just got back from a lovely trip to Indiana to visit our super, great friends, Jimmy and Dianey DeLuca!  They cooked up the VERY best chicken tortilla soup for us we ever tasted and here it is...mostly!

The DeLucas!

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped and sautéed until cooked through 

2 tbsps. oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 cloves fresh, chopped garlic

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

2 tsps. cumin

2 tsps. Mexican oregano

salt/pepper to taste

2 quarts chicken or vegetable broth

2 corn cobs, shaved

2 cups cooked adzuki beans

13 oz. can fire-roasted stewed tomatoes

Tortilla chips

*Shredded cheese, optional

I shredded some soy cheese and added some taco seasoning to it!

Directions:

Chop chicken breasts into 2-inch pieces, season with salt and pepper, and sauté  in 1 tbsp oil until done-about 7 minutes.  Add more oil, then add onions and garlic.  Sauté for 2 more minutes.  To stock pot, add remaining ingredients, chicken, onions, and garlic.  Simmer for at least 30 minutes to blend all flavors.  Add a spoonful of cheese, then top with tortilla chips or strips.  In this photo, I have added soy cheese.   I also tried adding   a dollop of guacamole with very tasty results!