Chicken tortilla soup

One of my best friends has been raving about this soup for over a year. And when she finally made it for me, I had to agree. It's good. VERY good. I'm pretty sure the recipe comes from Cook's Illustrated,  and though the original calls for turkey, I've made it twice now using a rotisserie chicken and can I just say, yum!

Here's what you need to get started (don't be daunted by the long list of ingredients, the soup comes together quickly and is very easy to make):

2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 tablespoons of minced garlic
3 six inch corn tortillas cut into 1" pieces
1 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes with green chiles
4 cups of chicken broth (I used about 6 cups as I felt the soup base was too thick otherwise)
1 teaspoon each of ground cumin, ground coriander and dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne
2 cups of cooked and shredded chicken or turkey (I used a whole rotisserie chicken which came to more than 2 cups, but I definitely think the soup is better with more meat rather than less)
1 1/2 cups of frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup of heavy cream
1 cup of shredded Monterey jack cheese
2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice
salt and pepper

sour cream and chopped green onions to garnish

Heat the oil in a large heavy stockpot over medium high heat, add the onions and garlic and saute about 3 minutes. Stir in the tortilla pieces and saute until they are no longer crisp. Add tomatoes, broth and spices and bring to a boil.

Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes, then puree using an immersion blender or in batches in a regular blender or food processor until you have a smooth creamy base.

Return the pot to the stove and add the chicken, corn and cream. Bring to a boil.

Simmer for about 5 minutes or until the soup begins to thicken. (I've let it sit on a low flame for an hour or so before moving on to the next step.)

Raise the heat a bit and sprinkle in the cheese, stirring until it melts. Add the lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. 

I've served this with a loaf of crusty bread, or if I'm feeling very ambitious, with quesadillas. My son, happy to eat a quesadilla or a loaf of bread, won't even try the soup, but the rest of us? We love it.