Holly's Tortilla Soup

Holly served this delicious soup at a party and kindly shared the recipe with me. There was not one drop left in the pot. I have listed her original measurements and noted the changes I have made over the years to suit my family's tastes.

• Ready In: 1 hr 40 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1  small onion, finely diced
• 2  garlic cloves, minced (1 tsp. jarred minced garlic)
• 1 (4 ounce) can green chilies, diced drained
• 1  tablespoon olive oil (Holly's version calls for 2 Tbsp)
• 1 (14 1/2ounce) can tomatoes, diced, undrained (Holly's calls for only 8 ounces,drained)
• 1 (10 ounce) can  ro-tel tomatoes and green chilies, diced (my version)
• 4  cups chicken broth (Holly's calls for only 2 cups)
• 2  cups beef broth (Holly's calls for only 1 cup)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano (my version)
• 1⁄4-1⁄2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste, optional (my version)
• 1  teaspoon ground cumin
• 1  teaspoon chili powder
• 1⁄8 teaspoon salt, to taste
• 1⁄8 teaspoon pepper, to taste
• 2  teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1  cup monterey jack cheese, shredded (or any cheese you prefer)
• 3 -6  tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch strips (I use flour tortillas, Holly uses corn tortillas)
• 6  tablespoons sour cream, optional garnish (my version)
• 2  tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced, optional garnish (my version)

Directions

1. Saute onion, garlic and green chilies in oil in a large soup pot until onions are tender, about 5-10 minutes.
2. Add tomtatoes,both types of broth seasonings, and Worcestershire sauce, and some salt & pepper to taste.
3. Simmer 45 minutes-1 hour, covered.
4. Holly's Step: Meanwhile, pop torn corn tortilla strips onto a baking sheet and let them toast lightly until crisp for a few minuts (at about 350F),watch carefully so they don't burn; let them cool slightly.
5. My step: If I am using flour tortilla, I just cut them into strips with kitchen shears and skipthe toasting part, adding them to the soup as directed below.
6. When soup is ready,test for seasonings and adjust as needed, then top with tortilla strips and let simmer 10 minutes (the tortillas will soften and turn into noodles/dumplings) -- if you prefer more broth, less noodle, use fewer tortillas, but we like how the tortilla dumplings thicken the soup and absorb all the yummy spices.
7. Top each serving with a bit of shredded cheese, sour cream, and cilantro as desired.