Chicken Tortilla Soup

cooking.nytimes.com

“No one who cooks, cooks alone. Even at her most solitary, a cook in the kitchen is surrounded by generations of cooks past, the advice and menus of cooks present, the wisdom of cookbook writers.” ― Laurie Colwin

This version of tortilla soup arises from a dish served at the Rose Garden restaurant in Anthony, Texas. We’ve streamlined the original recipe, using chicken legs as the base of the stock, pulling off the meat when it’s tender, and adding couple of beef bones to give the broth extra depth. Laila Santana, whose mother, Dalila Garcia, owns the Rose Garden, told us the recipe lends itself to improvisation. That it does, so feel free to tweak it to your tastes.

2 ½ pounds bone-in chicken thighs or legs

1 pound beef bones, or a cut of beef with a lot of bone in it like short ribs, optional

1 medium onion, quartered leave the skin on

1 head garlic, halved across the equator leave the skin on

¼ cup vegetable oil, or more as needed

6 corn tortillas

Salt

2 tablespoons canned chipotle chilies in adobo, or to taste

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 avocados, pitted, peeled and cubed

4 to 8 ounces plain melting cheese, like mozzarella not fresh, Oaxaca or Jack, shredded or cubed

Lime wedges for serving, optional

Directions at cooking.nytimes.com

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