Chipotle Chicken Pasta Soup

Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over a medium flame. Finely chop the onion, peeled carrot, and celery. Add the vegetables to oil and sweat over medium heat for five minutes. Mince garlic. Add to vegetables along with cumin and oregano. Sweat for another two minutes until garlic is soft.

Mince chipotles and add to the pot with the vegetables. Pour in chicken stock and bring the mixtures to a boil, stirring to combine.

Meanwhile, remove skin from chicken legs and discard. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. When stock has come to a boil, add chicken to the pot along with the bay leaf. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 20 minutes until chicken has cooked through. Remove chicken from soup to a cutting board and let cool slightly.

Stir in pasta, corn, mushrooms, and tomatoes and return to a simmer. Simmer for at least 10 minutes, until pasta is cooked through. When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones and shred. Return chicken to the soup and simmer for a couple minutes to reheat. Taste soup and adjust seasoning if necessary with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and top with optional garnish of diced avocado, chopped cilantro, and diced onions.