Chicken Tortilla Soup

Directions

1. 1
   Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.
2. 2
   Saute onion and garlic until onion is translucent, about 5 to 6 minutes.
3. 3
   Add chicken broth, green chilies, chili powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, and diced tomatoes (with their juice).  Bring to a boil.
4. 4
   Add chicken (uncooked) to soup mixture. Return to a boil.
5. 5
   Add cilantro.  Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.
6. 6
   Add corn and simmer for 10 minutes more.
7. 7
   Top individual servings with crumbled tortilla chips and shredded cheese.
8. 8
   Use a combination of boneless skinless chicken breasts and thighs, if you prefer.
9. 9
   Or, make this chicken soup with rotisserie chicken.
10. 10
    Remove meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken, chop into bite-sized pieces, and simply add the already-cooked chicken to the pot to simmer as you would if using uncooked chicken. 
11. 11
    We like the spicy heat level of this soup as it is -- a good amount of heat, but not mouth-scorching.  Reduce the amount of cayenne pepper if you'd like to bring the heat level down.