Chicken Tortilla Soup for a Chilly Night

Shame on us.  We didn't cook ALL week.  One weekend away and we were totally thrown off schedule!  Needless to say, I will be kicking off my Groundhog Day with a looong visit to the grocery store - at least I know what I want to make, that's always half (err, 3/4) of the battle.  The beauty of this recipe is that everything I needed was already in my kitchen - doesn't get better than that with the sound of the wind whipping outside.

Homemade chicken tortilla soup is suuuch a nice way to warm up amidst the resurgence of this wintry weather.  AND how come no one ever told me that boiling chicken makes life in the kitchen so much easier?  I feel like I am really late to this party, but I am loving this new method.
Recently, during a lovely chat with a lovely friend, our conversation naturally migrated to food.  Born and raised in Texas and presently living there too, Ruch was telling me how she'd been searching for a good tortilla soup recipe.  It turned out that she didn't have to look too far - one promptly arrived from her mom, another dear friend of mine :-)

She also suggested that my husband and I move to Texas based on the abundance of tasty Tex-Mex food there.  I'm not gonna lie, it's a pretty compelling argument.  Until any relocation decisions are considered though, we will have to settle for our heartwarming phoneside chats.  Every time we catch up, even though I'm curled up on my couch in chilly Connecticut and she is hanging out in the heat of Houston, it's as if we're back in Boston, where fate brought us together as neighbors...so we could be young, carefree, and downright silly together!

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 green chilies, ends removed and minced
1/2 freshly squeezed juice of lime (use remaining juice at end if desired)
1/2 lb. of chicken thighs

2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
salt, to taste
1/2 bunch cilantro, finely chopped

28 oz. chicken broth
14 oz. diced tomatoes
8 oz. tomato sauce
1/4 cup water

sliced avocado to serve on the side
freshly grated cheddar cheese as topping

For tortilla strips:
3 corn tortillas, sliced into thin strips
olive oil
salt

Procedure
Saute onions, garlic and chilies in a large pot until soft.  Add all spices, stir.  Add rest of ingredients and bring to a boil.

After about 15 minutes, remove chicken pieces with tongs and transfer to cutting board.  Use two forks to pull the chicken apart and shred into pieces.  Return shredded chicken to pot and simmer for additional 45 minutes.

While you're waiting, preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Place sliced tortillas into bowl and toss with a bit of olive oil and sprinkling of salt.  Transfer to baking sheet and bake until golden brown and crispy, approximately 5 minutes.  Set aside.

About 10 minutes before soup is finished simmering, add chopped cilantro, saving a little for garnish.  Stir.

Serve in bowls and top with tortilla strips and cheese {please}.

This was my first time making chicken tortilla soup and it was a smashing success {according to the one person who tried it}!  Will definitely be repeated.

Any other spicy soup ideas for a chilly night?