This is the soup for the night you have half a rotisserie chicken and a pack of corn tortillas going stale in the pantry. It takes one pot, one can of tomatoes, and about 40 minutes, and it turns those two things into a brothy, lime-bright dinner that feeds four.

Two things make it work. First, you fry corn tortilla strips yourself instead of opening a bag of chips — they stay crisp in the hot broth longer and taste fresher. Second, the leftover chicken goes in at the very end, just long enough to heat through, so it stays tender instead of turning stringy from a long simmer.

Expect a tomatoey, cumin-scented broth with tender shreds of chicken, brightened with lime at the end. The crispy strips soften as you eat, which is half the pleasure. It is filling enough for dinner on its own, and the toppings — avocado, cilantro, extra lime — carry the flavor.