Winter Tortilla Soup

When the desire for both comfort and virtue strikes (this is sometimes a rare occasion for me), only a bowl of soup can calm my needy soul. And because when this feeling strikes I'm in no mood to cook for anyone other than me (me! me!), it must to be able to happen in a flash and in a single heaping portion.

In summer I might be tempted to make something lovely with tomatoes and sweet corn, but being the dead of winter as it is, a girl must be resourceful.  Tortilla soup fits the bill for me, and its so easy it can be thrown together hastily and without much thought.

There are dozens of ways to make a delicious tortilla soup - indeed at least three for every season - but for me on this snowy day in January, this one was just about perfect.  Not least because everything it contains are staples found in my kitchen already.  Minimum effort for maximum pleasure, as Nigella would say.

Winter Tortilla Soup
3/4 cup shredded chicken (mine was from a leftover rotisserie chicken)
Half a yellow onion, diced (save a tbsp or so as a topping)
Half a red bell pepper, diced (yes I realize this is such a winter cheat, forgive me)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
1 1/2 cups chicken stock (preferably homemade from the bones of the rotisserie chicken)
1 Tbsp tomato paste
Half a lime
1 tsp cumin (more if you like)
1 tsp tsp mexican chili powder (more or less if you like)
Salt and pepper


Suggested Toppings (really the most important part):
Half an avocado, sliced or roughly cut into chunks
Tabasco
Raw yellow onion
Grated sharp cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Cilantro
*Tortillas- corn tortillas cut into strips and dropped in are traditional. Tortilla chips crushed on top would be delicious. I only had wheat flour tortillas around, and I assure you it was still very worth eating.

To Cook:
Heat a little olive oil in a sauce pan.  Add onion, cook about 3 minutes until translucent.  Add red pepper, cook another 3 minutes.  Add chicken, then cumin, chili powder, garlic and a little salt.  Stir to combine and let flavors meld together a couple minutes. Pour in chicken stock.  Squeeze the lime juice in, then drop the lime into the pot.  Add tomato paste and stir to let it melt into the stock.  Season with salt and pepper and let simmer for about 10 minutes.

Pour all into a big bowl and top with everything and anything you would like.  Devour and be comforted.