Chicken Tortilla Soup

I have tweaked two different recipes and made this soup about five times and now I think I've perfected it.  I started with a Barefoot Contessa recipe that had no corn or black beans.  I think both are necessary to make this soup hearty. This is NOT a soup you eat before a meal!  This is a soup you eat AS your meal.

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts bone-in skin on
• ¼ C. olive oil
• 2 C. onions, finely chopped 
• 1 C. carrots, chopped
• 1  C. celery, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 12 C. chicken stock
• 1 (8 oz.) can of tomato sauce
• 1 can of crushed tomatoes
• 2 cans of Mexican Rotel tomatoes with green chilies
• 1 can of corn
• 1 can of cream corn
• 1 can of black beans, rinsed
• 4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
• 1 t. ground cumin
• 1 T.  kosher salt
• ¼ C. cilantro, chopped
• 10 (6 in.) white corn tortillas
• Sour cream
• Grated cheddar cheese
• 1 avocado sliced

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Rub chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper
3. Place chicken breasts skin side up on a sheet pan and bake for 35 minutes
4. Heat ¼ C. olive oil over medium-low heat in a large pot and add chopped onions, celery, & carrots cooking until veggies are limp, about 15 minutes
5. Add garlic for last minute
6. Add chicken stock and then each ingredient as listed (through cilantro), stirring between each
7. Cut the tortillas in half and then into ½ in squares, add to the soup and stir (the tortillas act as a thickener)
8. Bring to a low boil and simmer for 30 minutes
9. While soup is simmering, remove the skin and bones from the chicken breasts and cut into small bite size pieces
10. Add the chicken for an additional 10 minutes
11. Serve soup with a dollop of sour cream, grated cheddar cheese, and slices of avocado

Tips and Tricks:

• Making your own chicken stock for this recipe is cheaper and tastes better.  Follow my link to find out how I make mine.
• Do NOT scrap the seeds of a jalapeno pepper out with your fingernails.  You WILL regret this.  Scrap with a teaspoon and save your skin.
• This soup freezes great!