Tex-Mex Chile-Lime Chicken Soup

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 jalapeños, seeded and diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• Juice of 1 lime
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream, cilantro

Directions

1. Warm the oil in a large, sturdy pot or Dutch oven of at least 8-quart capacity over medium-high heat. Tip in the onion, jalapeño, garlic, and 1/2 Tbs. salt, then cook and stir now and then, letting the vegetables soften and take on spots of color, 4 to 6 minutes.
2. Sprinkle in the chili powder and cumin. Keep them moving in the pot just until their aroma opens up, 30 seconds.
3. Pour in the broth and let it come up to a boil. Lower the heat so it gently simmers, stirring from time to time, until the vegetables are fully tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
4. Add the reserved shredded chicken, hominy, corn, and tomatoes, and stir them into the soup. Let everything simmer, with the occasional stir, until the add-ins are tender and the soup tastes nicely pulled together, 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Mix in the cilantro and 1 Tbs. of the lime juice. Taste the soup, then add more lime juice 1 Tbs. at a time, as you like, up to 4 Tbs. Finish with salt and pepper to taste, and top each serving with a small handful of crisped tortilla strips, if you like.