Chicken Enchilada Soup

ingredients

1 dozen corn tortillas
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large onion
4-6 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, or 2 T dried
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, chopped, or 1/2 t. red pepper flakes*
1/4 cup flour
3 cans chicken broth (I always have more on hand in case soup needs to be thinned)
1 can tomato soup
1 lb. chicken breast, but in bite-size pieces or small strips
1 t salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 1/2 t. cumin
1 bay leaf
1 can tomatoes with green chilies

1
Tear the tortillas into pieces or cut with kitchen shears. Saute 6 tortillas, seasonings, and chicken in vegetable oil.
2
Add flour, stir and cook till bubbly**.
3
Add remaining ingredients, including the rest of the tortillas, and cook for 1 hour. Stir occasionally.
4
Toppings: shredded cheese, chopped avocado, sour cream
5
*I’m sure you know this, but you need to take the seeds out of the jalapeño before you chop it up and add it to the soup. I didn’t know this…and when I brought it to our department Christmas party everyone was tearing up and sweating like crazy. I didn’t know why? The next day when my friend asked how the recipe she gave me went I told her that it was just spicy as h-e-double hockey sticks. She was like that’s weird…you DID de-seed the jalapeños, right? Uhh NO! That wasn’t part of the recipe? Anyway, like I said, I’m sure you know this but I wouldn’t feel right without mentioning it just in case. By the way, the department no longer allows me to be a part of pot luck dinners.
6
** This “cook ‘til bubbly” part never happens when I cook mine, so I’m not sure what that’s about. I also usually have to add more vegetable oil because the tortillas start sticking to the bottom of the pan.