It's THAT Good: Tortilla Soup

I have searched for years for the perfect Chicken Tortilla Soup. A local restaurant in my home town (Elena's)  has the world's best tortilla soup. I make special arrangements to eat there every time I am in Beaumont. for years I have been trying recipes and variations of recipes and to no avail. UNTIL, I came across this one from Soup Addict... no crazy awesome introduction needed. (Yeah, it's THAT good)
 

(I added a little bit of paprika to this recipe instead of a jalapeno. I have used a  to go ready rotisserie chicken from the store and also boiled chicken. Both turned out equally delicious. And lastly, I use a lot more chicken stock, tomato puree and add some Rotel...I didn't list my changes in the recipe below)


Chicken Tortilla Soup

Soup
1	tablespoon	canola oil
1	tablespoon	butter
1	medium	yellow onion, chopped
1	rib	celery, chopped
2	cloves	fresh garlic, minced
4	cups	chicken stock
1		red bell pepper, chopped
1		poblano pepper or green bell pepper, chopped
1/2		jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely minced
1/2	teaspoon	salt
1/4	teaspoon	pepper
1/2	teaspoon	ground cumin
1/2	teaspoon	ground coriander
1	tablespoon	sugar
1	tablespoon	chili powder
15	ounces	can tomato puree
1	tablespoon	Worcestershire sauce
1	pound	cooked chicken, cubed or pulled
Cheese sauce
2	tablespoons	butter
2	tablespoons	flour
1	cup	heavy cream, half and half or milk
1/2	teaspoon	salt
1/2	teaspoon	pepper
8	ounces	cheese, grated (use your favorite or a mix of favorites)
Garnish
		Tortilla chips, crumbled (or if you can find them, tortilla strips)
		Sour cream
		Fresh cilantro, roughly chopped (optional)

1. Make the soup: Heat oil and butter in a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Sauté onions, celery and garlic until soft.

2. Add a splash of chicken stock, and then the red bell, poblano or green bell and jalapeno peppers. Cook for 2-3 minutes to soften.

3. Add all of the spices (salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, sugar, chili powder), and stir until fragrant.

4. Add the remaining chicken stock, tomato puree and Worchestershire sauce. Mix well and bring to boil.

5. Add chicken, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes (or more – the longer a soup simmers, the better!)

6. Make the cheese sauce: Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan over medium heat. Stir in flour to create a paste.

7. Slowly add the dairy, stirring constantly, until a thick, creamy sauce is formed. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. Add grated cheese and stir to completely incorporate into the sauce.

8. Add cheese sauce to the soup, stirring to mix well. The soup should now be creamy, but not necessarily spoon-hugging thick.

9. To serve: ladle into bowls, then sprinkle on cilantro. Add a spoonful of sour cream and top with tortilla chips/strips.