Yucatan Chicken and Lime Soup (Sopa de Lima)

From the garden

• 6 limes, 4 juiced, 2 sliced into thin rounds · Key limes are traditional; use 8 of them if they are small
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium ripe tomatoes, cored and chopped
• 1 habanero or jalapeño, left whole for gentle heat, or halved and seeded for more
• ½ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

From the pantry

• 1½ lb boneless chicken thighs
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 6 corn tortillas, cut into thin strips
• ⅓ cup vegetable oil · for frying the tortilla strips, plus 1 tablespoon for the pot
• 1 tsp dried oregano · Mexican oregano if you have it
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• 1 avocado, diced (optional) · for serving
• salt · to taste
• black pepper

1. Heat the 1/3 cup oil in a skillet over medium-high until a tortilla strip sizzles on contact. Fry the strips in two batches, stirring, 2–3 minutes per batch until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels and salt them while hot.
2. In a soup pot, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium. Cook the onion with a pinch of salt 4–5 minutes until soft, then add the garlic, oregano, and cloves and stir 30 seconds until fragrant.
3. Add the tomatoes and cook 2–3 minutes until they slump. Pour in the stock, add the chicken thighs and the whole or halved chile, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook 15–18 minutes, skimming any foam, until the chicken reaches 165°F and pulls apart easily.
4. Lift the chicken onto a board and shred it with two forks. Fish out the chile (leave it in only if you want real heat). Return the chicken to the pot and season the broth with salt and pepper. It should taste clean and savory before the lime goes in.
5. Off the heat, stir in the juice of the 4 limes. Taste: the soup should be distinctly tart and bright, not merely lemony. Add more juice if it needs it; this is the whole point of the dish.
6. Ladle into bowls, top each with a handful of tortilla strips, a spoonful of cilantro, a couple of lime rounds, and avocado if using. Serve at once, while the strips are still crisp.