Real-Deal Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

• 2 quarts low sodium canned or homemade chicken stock
• 2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves, about 1 pound total
• 1 large onion, split in half, plus 1 large onion, finely diced
• 2 ears of corn, shucked, kernels removed from cobs, milk scraped from empty cobs
• 2 medium garlic cloves, whole, plus 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 3 whole dried ancho chilies, seeds and stems removed, flesh roughly torn into strips
• 1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, split in half
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 poblano pepper, seeded and finely diced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 tesapoons dried oregano
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 tablespoon corn flour
• To Serve:
• Diced avocado
• Fried tortilla strips or chips
• Chopped scallions
• Lime wedges

Directions

1. Add the stock, chicken, split onion, bare corn cobs with the scraped corn milk, 2 whole garlic cloves, and chilies to a large saucepan. Bring everything up to a boil over high heat, then lower it to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes, turning the chicken now and then and adding water if the liquid gets low. Pull out and discard the onion, corn cobs, and garlic cloves, then move the chicken to a large plate and let it rest. Once you can comfortably handle it, tear the chicken into strips.
2. While that is going, move the oven rack so it sits 4 inches below the broiler element, then heat the broiler to high. Arrange the tomatoes on a foil-lined broiler pan with the cut sides facing up, and broil them until the tops are charred and the tomatoes have gone completely soft, about 15 minutes.
3. Put the roasted tomatoes, stock, and softened chilies into a blender. Blend on high until the mixture is totally smooth, then set it aside.
4. Warm the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Stir in the onions, poblanos, and corn kernels, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until the onions have softened without browning, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and stir constantly until it smells fragrant, about 30 seconds. Sprinkle in the cumin and oregano and keep stirring often until they smell toasty and fragrant, about 30 seconds longer. Add the beans and half of the cilantro, and stir it all together. Strain the tomato-chili stock through a fine mesh strainer into the pot.
5. Whisk the corn flour into the soup. Bring it to a simmer, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep it cooking, stirring often, until the onions and poblanos are completely tender, 5 to 10 minutes.
6. Ladle out the soup, topping each bowl with chicken, avocado, fried tortilla strips, scallions, lime wedges, and the remaining cilantro.