Chicken Tortilla Soup Hearty Appetizer Or Meal

If one soup could be called the national elixir of Mexico, it would be Chicken Tortilla Soup.

Nourishing, hearty and light all at once, this soup combines the flavors of toasted corn, simmered chicken, fresh cilantro and lime. It can be served as a one-dish appetizer with warm tortillas or paired with a big salad or plate of vegetables for a healthful, low-fat supper.

This streamlined American version is lower in fat and easier to prepare than traditional Mexican recipes. It starts with lean, skinless chicken breasts instead of a whole chicken.

The chicken is simmered with a potful of aromatic vegetables, herbs and toasted tortillas. Toasting the tortillas before you put them in the pot gives the broth a deliciously earthy, nutty flavor. The chicken, vegetables and tortillas cook for about 40 minutes until the broth is rich and full-flavored, then it is strained and skimmed to remove excess fat.

The clear soup is garnished with plenty of shredded chicken breast, chopped fresh cilantro, chopped green onions, a squeeze of fresh lime juice and some creamy cubes of ripe avocado. Lovers of spicy food could also add a bit of minced jalapeno pepper. The concoction nourishes the body while it feeds the creative spirit.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

4 corn tortillas

4 skinless bone-in chicken breasts

8 cups water

1 large yellow onion, cut in quarters

3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

2 bay leaves

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1/4 cup ground cumin

2 tablespoons lime juice

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Garnish:

12 ounces cooked chicken breast, shredded

1 green onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

avocado, cubed

1 corn tortilla, cut into slivers

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Toast four tortillas for 10 minutes until crisp. Cool slightly and break into bits.

Trim all visible fat from the chicken breasts. In a large kettle over medium heat, combine the water, chicken breasts, onion, garlic, bay leaves, cilantro, cumin, lime juice, salt, pepper and tortillas. Bring the contents to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the kettle and cool the meat for 15 minutes or until you can pull the meat off the bones. Return the bones to the kettle and boil the broth vigorously for another 20 minutes. Reserve and shred 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) of the chicken; use the rest of the meat for another purpose. Strain the broth and discard the bones and vegetables. Place the broth in a large container for 15 minutes in the freezer. Any fat will accumulate at the surface; skim off the fat.

To serve the soup, bring it to a simmer with the reserved chicken. Place the garnishes (chopped green onion, cilantro, avocado, and tortilla cut into strips) in the bottom of each bowl. Ladle the broth and the chicken into each bowl. Serve with extra lime juice on the side.

Yield: 4 (1 1/2 cup) servings.

Note: Traditional Mexican recipes call for adding chili to this recipe. If desired, add one jalapeno pepper, sliced into quarters, to the broth and cook with the rest of the ingredients. You can also add minced jalapeno to the garnishes.

Nutrition information per serving: 288 calories, 9 grams fat (28 percent fat calories), 30 grams protein, 26 grams carbohydrate, 55 milligrams cholesterol, 611 milligrams sodium.

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