Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Years ago, when Joan Lunden was on Good Morning America, she shared this recipe. I felt fortunate enough I had access to the internet to find their site to print off the recipe -- believe it or not, that wasn't readily available back then. My original printout was stained and hard to read as we have made this soup countless times and often appears in our rotation.

My husband particularly loves this soup when he goes hunting. It does freeze well -- but I have only done that a couple of times given it's often devoured in full, leaving no leftovers.

I don't claim to be a food blogger nor a professional photographer. However, I do love to share a good recipe every now and then. So, excuse the amateur photos and the messy kitchen. Just some candid pics.

INGREDIENTS

1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

2 garlic cloves, minced (about 2 teaspoons)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 ounce can green chilies, chopped

15 ounce can Italian-style stewed tomatoes, 

     chopped, reserving the juice

4 cups Chicken Broth or canned reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 teaspoon lemon pepper

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce or to taste

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup water

1 pound skinless boneless chicken breast, cut into small cubes

1/3 cup  sour cream Salt and pepper to taste

Tortilla Strips 

Shredded Mozzarella cheese for garnish

DIRECTIONS

In a large saucepan, cook the onion and the garlic in the oil over moderately low heat for 5 minutes or until the onion is softened. Add the chilies, tomatoes with their juice, broth, lemon pepper, Worcestershire, spices, and hot sauce and simmer the mixture for 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the flour with the water and whisk it into the soup. Bring the soup back to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the chicken and simmer for 5 minutes or until it is just cooked through. Stir in the sour cream and salt and pepper to taste, and garnish each portion with the tortilla strips and shredded mozzarella cheese.