Chicken Tortilla Soup from Muy Bueno: Three Generations of Authentic Mexican Flavor by Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack

Ingredients

• 10 cups water
• 2 chicken thighs
• 2 chicken breasts
• 2 pasilla or ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded, and torn into large pieces
• 3 tablespoons salt
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 clove garlic
• Ground black pepper to taste
• 4 medium tomatoes
• ½ medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
• 14 white or yellow corn tortillas, sliced into ¼-inch-thick strips
• ⅓ cup canola oil, for frying tortilla strips
• 2 cups shredded quesadilla or asadero cheese (optional)
• Shredded cabbage (optional)
• 2 avocados, pitted, peeled, and diced
• 2 limes, cut into wedges