CopyCat Applebee’s Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

1 medium Yellow Onion chopped
2 teaspoons fresh Garlic minced
2 teaspoons Vegetable Oil
4 cups Chicken Stock
1/4 cup chopped Green Pepper optional
One 15-ounce can Tomato Puree
1 teaspoon finely minced Jalapeño Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Sugar
1 teaspoon Chili Powder
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 teaspoon Hot Sauce optional
4 teaspoons Flour
1/2 cup Water
1 pound cooked Chicken cubed
1 cup Cream
1/4 cup Sour Cream to taste
8 ounces Cheese cut into 1-inch cubes, to taste
Ten 6-inch Corn Tortillas
Fresh Cilantro roughly chopped (optional)

Directions

Add oil to a large deep pan or Dutch oven. Place on stove over medium heat.

Add garlic and onions. Sauté until soft.

Add chicken stock, green pepper, tomato puree, jalapeño, salt, pepper, sugar, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Bring to low boil. Reduce heat. Simmer 20 minutes.

While soup is cooking, cut tortillas into 1/4-inch strips. Fry in oil or spray with oil and bake at 400ºF.

Sprinkle with salt, if desired. Set aside.

In a small cup, thoroughly mix flour and water to make a slurry. Whisk slurry into soup.

Bring soup again to a low boil. Simmer 5 minutes.

Add chicken and cream. Simmer 5 more minutes.

Stir in sour cream and cheese (more or less of each, depending on taste).

Spoon soup into serving bowls. Pile prepared tortilla strips into a “haystack” shape on top of the soup.
Serve.

Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro.