If you like it hot, replace the chilli powder with 1–2 tablespoons (to taste) of finely chopped jalapeno chilli, adding it with the tomato (you can buy jars of ready-sliced jalapenos in the supermarket). For real corn-flavoured crunch, look for salt-reduced corn chips with no artificial colours or preservatives.

Serves 4
Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled, halved then finely sliced
1 small red capsicum, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon chilli powder
3 medium Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
4–5 cups hot chicken stock
400 g (14 oz) skinless chicken breast fillet, sliced
kernels from a cob of corn (about 1 cup)
corn or tortilla chips
1 avocado, peeled, finely sliced lengthwise and fanned out
2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander leaves
lime wedges

Heat the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, capsicum, garlic, cumin and chilli and sauté gently for about 5 minutes or until the onion is soft. Add the tomato, stir, then pour in the stock. Bring the soup to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes.

Add the chicken and corn kernels and continue to simmer gently until the chicken is cooked, about 5 minutes, then season to taste with a few twists of freshly ground black pepper and remove from the heat.

Break 3 or 4 crunchy corn or tortilla chips into the bottom of four soup bowls, top with a few fanned-out avocado slices, ladle over a couple of scoops each of soup, sprinkle with coriander and serve with lime wedges.