Tortilla Soup

This is not a picture of my Tortilla Soup, but this is pretty much what it looks like. I rarely cook anything that doesn't have a picture in a cookbook, so here you are a picture...of someone else's Tortilla Soup

TORTILLA SOUP

1 Lg onion, chopped (for those who don't like onion a medium is great)

4-6 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp dried cilantro

3 Tbsp vegetable oil (I think I usually use olive)

2 c. chopped cooked chicken (I have used canned chicken, but of course, cooked chicken is the best)

2 quarts chicken broth

1 (14ounce) can stewed tomatoes, do not drain and chopped

1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles (Rotel Original)

1 Tbsp ground cumin

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp pepper

Saute first 3 ingredients in the vegetable oil (or olive oil) in a stock pot for 5 minutes. Add chicken and next 6 ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Discard bay leaf.

TOP WITH:

Tortilla chips: crumble them, buy the strips or bake some using 6 inch corn tortilla for about 5-8 minutes at 400 degrees

Mozzarella cheese.

Avocado

hot sauce

and whatever else you think might be good in tortilla soup. Sour cream, guac, beans. whatever. Enjoy.

Salsa

Salsa
1 gallon tomatoes (about 10 lbs) - Roma's work best
3 jalapeno peppers 7 peppers (we use red, yellow, and green)
3 cups chopped onion (white, red or yellow - take your pick)
3 TBSP salt
1 1/3 TBSP garlic salt
1 TBSP sugar
1 cup white vinegar

Boil tomatoes until skins crack. Put into a sink full of cold water. Peel skins off. Chop all ingredients (you can use a food processor to chop or do it by hand). Put in a big stock pot and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 3-5 hours until salsa is at desired consistency (the more time it simmers, the more liquid-y it will be). That's all there is to it. Good stuff! This will make about 12 pint-size jars.

Bottling: During the last hour your salsa simmers, run your jars, lids and rings for lids through the dishwasher with the heat-dry cycle on. The cycle should end just as the salsa is ready to be bottled. Fill the bottles almost full (leave about 2 in. from top), then immediately put on the lid and ring. Screw the ring/cap as tight as possible. Let it sit for a few hours and it should seal.