Chilaquiles Soup

This recipe came together so quickly last night and it was so good that I'm rushing to get it on the blog so that you can make it for dinner tonight. Chilaquiles traditionally are tortillas chips simmered in sauce and then topped with different things (chicken, scrambled eggs, etc...). It's not much of a stretch to turn them into a soup and I find them easier to eat this way. I found this recipe in the '97 Joy of Cooking, they credit Rick Bayless for giving them the recipe, then I adjusted it to my tastes, and now I'm passing it on to you. Psst... pass it on.

serves 3 to 4

1 or 2 fresh jalapenos
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 28oz can whole tomatoes, drained
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 chicken breasts
1 T cumin
1 T oregano
2 to 4 medium handfuls of thick/authentic style tortilla chips
1/2 cup cilantro
sour cream
grated jack or cheddar cheese

In a dry, thick-bottomed pot or pan (cast iron is great) roast the jalapeno and garlic over medium-high heat. It takes about 15 minutes and it seems strange, but you just leave them in the bottom of the pan, turning them as each side turns dark brown/black.

In a bit of oil, in a small soup pot, saute the onion until it is soft and starting to turn brown.

Peel the garlic and take the stem out of the jalapenos. Puree them in a food processor or blender. Add the drained can of tomatoes and blend again.

Transfer this to the soup pot of onions and simmer for about 5 minutes to thicken it just a bit.

Add the stock, raw chicken breasts, cumin, and oregano and simmer for 20 minutes. Don't taste it until it has simmered for a bit because it's the simmering that kills any bacteria that might be in the chicken.