Chicken Tortilla Soup

In a large Dutch oven or heavy soup pot, brown the chicken in the cooking oil until golden brown. It does not need to be cooked through at this point. Remove the chicken and set aside.

Saute the onion, oregano, jalapeno, salt and pepper in the same pot until onions are tender and have a golden color; add a little more oil if needed.

Stir in the garlic and saute until fragrant but not browned. Stir in the chicken stock, tomatoes, bay leaf and the browned chicken. Add in the crushed tortilla chips and simmer covered for 30 minutes.

Remove the chicken and set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, shred it and put it back into the pot along with the chopped cilantro.

Simmer for 5 minutes and serve. Garnish this soup with diced avocado, a squeeze of lime and a sprinkling of crushed tortillas.