[FONT="]My SIL was in town and requested tortilla soup. For whatever reason, my recipe always changes. This is what I did.
Chili Paste[/FONT][FONT="]
[/FONT][FONT="]1/2 large onion[/FONT][FONT="]
[/FONT][FONT="]6 dried New Mexico chilies[/FONT][FONT="]
[/FONT][FONT="]6 dried guajillo chilies
[/FONT][FONT="]6 dried arbol chilies
[/FONT][FONT="]6 cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp cumin seeds
Water to cover[/FONT][FONT="]
[/FONT][FONT="]Chili Sauce - Cut of the stems and shake out most of the seeds. Put in a sauce pan. Add the onion quartered, cumin seeds and peeled garlic. Cover with water and simmer for 15 min. Then put in blender (with only a little of the water) and blend into a paste. Run through a strainer to get out the chunks.
Chicken - A four pound chicken. Butchered the breasts and leg quarters. They were seasoned with salt and pepper and went to the kettle for smoke over cherry. After they came off, they were pulled and saved off for later.
Stock - The carcass and the wings went into a stock pot with 4 carrots, 1 onion and 6 ribs of celery. I seasoned with salt, pepper, Mexican oregano, and 10 sprigs of cilantro. Covered with 3 1/2 quarts of water. Simmered for 90 min. After, I ran through a sieve and skimmed off the fat.
Soup - I diced fine 1/2 an onion, 4 carrots, 4 ribs of celery and 1 diced roasted red bell pepper. Sweated with olive oil and seasoned with salt for about 10 min. Then I added the chicken stock. Added 2 -32 oz cans of hominy (drained) and simmered for 25 min. 1/2 cup of the Chili Sauce and re-seasoned with salt and pepper.
Serving time.
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Each bowl got 3/4 cup of smoked chicken, 1/2 of a diced avocado, soup, chopped cilantro and some fried tortilla strips. And a wedge of lime.