Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and very thinly sliced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 cups chicken stock
2 cups heavy cream
6 cups good-quality cheddar cheese, grated
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder (a palmful)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin (1/2 palmful)
4 cups lightly crushed blue or yellow corn tortilla chips
2 cups store-bought chunky-style salsa, any variety
Directions
In a medium size soup pot, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and peppers and cook for 2-3 minutes more. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the stock slowly and stir in the cream. Bring the soup to a bubble and reduce the heat to simmer.
Stir in the cheese and season the soup with salt, pepper, chili powder and cumin. Let the soup reduce for 10-15 minutes over low heat, then serve with the crushed chips and dollops of salsa.