Chicken Tortilla Soup

If you can't tell, I have been on a soup kick lately. Here is a GREAT chicken tortilla soup that my friend Allison W. gave me. It's so tasty, and free of any common allergy foods for those of you who have to watch these things.

1 medium onion, chopped
1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped (the seeds are what gives the pepper heat)
1 clove garlic, minced
Tiny bit of olive oil
48 oz. Chicken broth
1 lb. chicken, cooked and shredded (If you cook it all day in the crockpot, it will naturally shred without any effort on your part. I cooked it with garlic salt and some canola oil.)
1 ½ tsp salt 1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
¼ c. cilantro, chopped
Optional: 1-2 tsp of a thickener to thicken the broth (xantham gum, corn starch, or flour). I just wanted my broth a little thicker but it's fine either way.

Now, you can leave it at that, OR you can veg it up. Here's what I added... 1 can diced tomatoes, about a cup of frozen corn, and 1 pkg sauteed mushrooms.

Heat the oil in a large pot. When it’s warm, add onions, poblano pepper, garlic, cumin, and coriander and sauté for 3-4 minutes. In a large pot, heat broth with your thickener if so desired. It's okay if it's a little clumpy- the heat will eventually smooth it out. Once broth is at a low boil/simmer, add everything but cilantro and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the cilantro and heat for another 5 minutes or so.

I am sure this would be good with some cheese and sour cream, but since I am limiting dairy, I just crushed tortilla chips in it. SO GOOD.