My family would make this soup each year on Christmas Eve. It’s a soup that’s warm in flavor, hearty but not heavy, that is ideally suited to gathering indoors on a cold winter evening. For me, it invariably conjures up memories of aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents coming over. Growing up, we lived in the house that my mom and her siblings had grown up in, making our house the de facto gathering place for any family that were in town. While winter holiday celebrations will look different this year, good food is still one of the central ways in which we’re able to come together – in spirit, if not in person.

Ingredients:

• 1 large yellow onion, chopped

• 2-3 carrots, chopped

• 1 poblano pepper, chopped

• 4 cups chicken stock (unsalted)

• 1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes (unsalted and undrained, if store-bought)

• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

• 12 ounces cooked chicken breast and/or thigh, shredded

• 2 tbsp. olive oil

• 3/4 tsp. salt

• 1/2 tsp. black pepper

• Several corn tortillas

• 1 avocado

• 1 lime

• Fresh cilantro sprigs

• Shredded cheese or sour cream, if desired

Cooking directions:

Cut tortillas into long, narrow (~half-inch-wide) strips; bake for 10 minutes at 375°. Meanwhile, heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots, and poblano; sauté about 8 minutes. Add stock, salt, black pepper, and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add half of the tortillas to boiling pot; cover and simmer for another 8 minutes, until carrot is tender. Stir in chicken and chopped cilantro. Serve topped with remaining tortilla strips, sliced avocado, lime wedges, sprigs of fresh cilantro, and shredded cheese or sour cream, if desired.