Recipe information
Yield
Serves 6 as a first course or 4 as a main course
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Coarsely chop onion and garlic. Wearing rubber gloves, finely chop jalapeño. Chop cilantro. Remove and discard skin from chicken.
Step 2
In a 3-quart saucepan cook chicken with onion, garlic, jalapeño, 1 tablespoon cilantro, broth, and water at a bare simmer until just cooked through, about 15 minutes.
Step 3
Transfer chicken to a cutting board with tongs and, when cool enough to handle, shred meat, discarding bones. Pour broth mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl and return to cleaned pan.
Step 4
Halve tortillas and cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-wide strips. In an 8-inch skillet heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and, working in 3 batches, fry tortilla strips, stirring gently, until golden. With tongs transfer strips as fried to paper towels to drain.
Step 5
Halve, pit, and peel avocados and cut flesh into 1/2-inch cubes. Add chicken to broth and heat over moderate heat until hot. Add remaining cilantro, avocado, lime juice, and salt to taste.
Step 6
Serve soup garnished with tortilla strips.
