• 1  32 oz. Box (a carton) 99% fat free Chicken Broth (usually in the soup section of the grocery store)
• 2 cups (or more--you pick how much) of cooked Chicken Meat (read farther down in the recipe if you are starting with raw chicken meat)
• 1 med. yellow (or white) onion chopped
• 1 bag of Mexican Cheese (mixed cheddar & Monterrey jack w/ jalapeño is our favorite)
• 1 ripe Avocado per person (I usually buy four for this recipe) *
• 1 tub of your favorite Salsa Picante
• 1 bag Tortilla Chips (your fave) **
• 1 tsp. Chili Powder
• 1/3 bunch fresh Cilantro (just use the leaves!--about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup, loosely packed, but you can adjust amount to your taste)

*I often include leftover corn in my soup
**Sometimes we add some leftover rice of any kind

In med-large sauce pan, bring Chicken meat and Chicken Broth  and the chopped onion to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes until onion is softened.
(NOTE: If chicken meat is raw, cook it in the chicken broth at least 30 minutes before continuing this recipe and reducing heat).

Add cilantro and chili powder to simmering chicken stock (the broth and meat). 

While stock is simmering, set out however many bowls you are planning to serve--in a row--in order to prepare this soup one bowl at a time. You can refrigerate leftover stock (for five days or freeze for weeks) that you don't serve.

Into the bottom of each bowl, place two spoonfuls of Salsa. On top of the salsa place a handful of Mexican Cheese.  Around the mound of cheese in each bowl place slices of Avocado (*and any corn or other vegetables you might think to add), and cover the cheese with a thin layer of Tortilla chips. (You may crush them if you like.)

Last to be added is the finished chicken stock. NOTE: do this step ONLY when you are ready to serve each bowl (because the chips will get soggy once you pour the liquid on them). You're ready? Then pour the chicken stock over the stuff you have placed in each bowl. To make it look nice, garnish your soup with a little extra cheese and a sprig of cilantro.

P.S. Some folks may wish to toss in rice (see ** above) to fill out their soup, AND some may even add Jalapeños or Cayenne, but such extras are optional, just like the extra vegetables (see *above).

In reality, you don't all that extra jazz to successfully make the Redbird Cafe's World Famous Tortilla Soup.

--Chez Elizabeth Ann