Have you ever craved a good, hearty and quick comforting bowl of soup? This soup does that for my family. No matter the time of year, we can always enjoy a bowl. When I first started dating my husband, he and his mom made a similar version of this soup for me and I fell in love. I never realized how quick and easy chicken tortilla soup could be to make.  Here is my version.

2 tbp olive oil
1/2 onion, diced small
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
10-12 c chicken stock
2 tsp cumin
3/4 c rice (I prefer Texmati, but use what you like and have)
2 tbp fresh cilantro leaves
1-2 cerrano peppers, sliced (optional, if you want it spicy), additional for serving
2 7oz. cans red salsa (I like Herdez red casera sauce)
2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and diced (rotisserie chicken works well as a cheat here)

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add in your onion, carrot and celery, seasoning the vegetables with the salt and pepper. Stir occasionally, for 3-5 minutes. Once the vegetables have softened, add the chicken stock, cumin, rice, cilantro, cerrano peppers (if using), and salsa. Stir together; taste the broth and adjust the seasoning as needed. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, until rice is cooked, usually 15-20 minutes. Add in the cooked chicken and heat through, about 5 more minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning again as needed.

To serve:
Place pieces of tortilla chips in the bottom of each bowl, larger crumbled pieces work best. Garnish the top of each serving with diced avocado, a dollop of sour cream, cheese of your choice (such as Monterrey jack or cotija cheese). A twist of lime over the top would also brighten up the soup.