Preparation / Directions:
Heat the oil in a large pot and saute the onion until soft. Add the stock, garlic, bay leaf, oregano, peppercorns, and chiltepin, and simmer for 1 hour. Puree 1 1/2 cups of the salsa fresca and add it to the soup. Remove from the heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Fill a deep saucepan with corn oil to a depth of 2 inches and heat to 375 degrees. (If you don't have an oil thermometer, heat the oil until a piece of tortilla dropped in the oil sizzles immediately, but don't let the oil start smoking.) Fry the tortilla strips until golden brown and crisp.
Divide the fried tortilla chips into wide soup bowls. Add 2 or 3 slices of avocado, a lime wedge, and some grated cheese to each bowl. Pour in the hot broth, add a dollop of salsa, and serve immediately, with the additional lime wedges on the side.
Notes: Basic Chicken Stock can be your homemade chicken stock or a very good brand of canned broth. Tepin: Variously spelled chile tepin and chiltepin, these tiny dried chiles make up for their small size by their fiery heat. When fresh they are green to red, and they turn reddish brown when dried. Use sparingly. Chile pequin, another tiny dried chile, can be used as a substitute.
If you prefer not to deep-fry the tortillas, brush them lightly with oil before cutting into strips and bake on a cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven until dry and cr
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