Mcalister's Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

Since I made a soup that I love, my next attempt was to make something that the wife loved. Without a doubt, one of her favorite soups is Chicken Tortilla soup from McAlister's Deli. With a quick search of the internet I found three or four recipes that all claimed to be it. For the most part all of them were pretty much identical with the exception of one ingredient that none of them could agree upon. Regardless, I took a stab at it and as far as I can tell it came out pretty much just as it should have. This is the recipe that I used.

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 medium onion, minced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (28-ounce) can low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles
4 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese … I used mild, but I think next time I'll see how sharp cheddar turns out
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 bunch green onions, sliced
tortilla chips

Instructions:

Bring about 1 inch of water to a boil in a skillet large enough to hold the chicken in a single layer. Add chicken, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until chicken is done, about 15 minutes. Drain chicken; cut into 1/2-inch cubes.
In a medium stockpot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; saute until soft.
Stir in chili powder, cayenne pepper, oregano, tomatoes and their liquid, chicken broth and 1/2 cup water.
Stir together cornstarch and remaining 1/4 cup water; stir into stockpot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until broth is slightly thickened.
Stir in chiles, cheese, cilantro, green onions and cooked chicken. Stir until cheese melts, then let simmer for 10 minutes.

Serve the tortilla chips on the side for dipping in soup, or crumble a few chips in the bowl and enjoy