Tortilla soup is perfect for cold wintery days.

It’s not quite spring yet. Don’t worry, we at Thermador have you covered.

Hunker down this weekend with this tortilla soup, perfect for cold winter days or even as a starter to an authentic Tex-Mex feast.

Makes about 9 cups, serving 6

Despite its somewhat lengthy ingredient list, this recipe is very easy to prepare. If you desire a soup with mild spiciness, trim the ribs and seeds from the jalapeño (or omit the jalapeño altogether) and use the minimum amount of chipotle in adobo sauce (1 teaspoon, pureed with the tomatoes in step 3). Our preferred brand of low-sodium chicken broth is Swanson’s Certified Organic Free Range. If advance preparation suits you, the soup can be completed short of adding the shredded chicken to the pot at the end of step 3. Return the soup to a simmer over medium-high heat before proceeding. The tortilla strips and the garnishes are best prepared the day of serving.

Ingredients:

Tortilla Strips
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into ½-inch-wide strips
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Salt

Soup
2 split bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (about 1½ pounds) or 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 11/4 pounds), skin removed and well trimmed of excess fat
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 very large white onion (about 1 pound), trimmed of root end, quartered, and peeled
4 medium garlic cloves, peeled
2 sprigs fresh epazote or 8 to 10 sprigs fresh cilantro plus 1 sprig fresh oregano
Salt
2 medium tomatoes, cored and quartered
½ medium jalapeño chile (see note)
1 chipotle chile in adobo, plus up to 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Garnishes

Lime wedges
Avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced fine
Cotija cheese, crumbled, or Monterey Jack cheese, diced fine
Fresh cilantro leaves
Jalapeño chile, minced
Crema Mexicana or sour cream

1. For the tortilla strips: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position; heat the oven to 425 degrees. Spread the tortilla strips on a rimmed baking sheet; drizzle with the oil and toss until evenly coated. Bake until the strips are deep golden brown and crisped, about 14 minutes, rotating the pan and shaking the strips (to redistribute) halfway through baking. Season the strips lightly with salt; transfer to a plate lined with several layers of paper towels.

2. For the soup: While the tortilla strips bake, bring the chicken, broth, 2 onion quarters, 2 garlic cloves, the epazote, and ½ teaspoon salt to a boil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan; reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the chicken is just cooked through, about 20 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a large plate. Pour the broth through a fine-mesh strainer; discard the solids in the strainer. When cool enough to handle, shred the chicken into bite-size pieces; discard the bones.

3. Puree the tomatoes, 2 remaining onion quarters, 2 remaining garlic cloves, jalapeño, chipotle chile, and 1 teaspoon adobo sauce in a food processor until smooth. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over high heat until shimmering; add the tomato-onion puree and 1/8 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture has darkened in color, about 10 minutes. Stir the strained broth into the tomato mixture, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer to blend the flavors, about 15 minutes. Taste the soup; if desired, add up to 2 teaspoons additional adobo sauce. Add the shredded chicken and simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. To serve, place portions of tortilla strips in the bottom of individual bowls and ladle the soup into the bowls; pass the garnishes separately.