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1
In a large stockpot, place the chicken legs and thighs and the broth or cold water.
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2
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
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3
Reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is opaque throughout and tender when pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes.
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4
With a slotted spoon remove the chicken from the pot and set aside to cool.
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5
Set aside the stockpot of broth.
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6
As soon as the chicken is cool enough to handle, pull off and shred the meat; discard the skin and bones.
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7
Meanwhile, place the pasilla and ancho chiles in a medium saucepan and add cold water to cover.
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8
Bring the water to a boil over medium heat.
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9
Reduce the heat and simmer until the chiles are soft, about 10 minutes.
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10
Drain the chiles and remove their stems and veins.
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11
If you want a spicier bite, keep the seeds; if not, remove the seeds as well.
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12
In the work bowl of a food processor, place the chiles, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and the salt.
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13
Process until smooth, adding a 1/2 cup of the reserved chicken broth to loosen the mixture if it is too thick.
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14
Stir the chile puree and half of the cilantro into the broth.
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15
Bring to a simmer over low heat, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.
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16
Taste and add salt if needed.
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17
Stir in the reserved chicken and the remaining cilantro and remove the pot from the heat.
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18
While the broth is simmering, line a baking sheet or large plate with paper towels.
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19
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking and shimmery.
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20
Add a handful or two of tortilla stripsthey can be touching but not overlappingand fry just until lightly browned around the edges, about 45 seconds.
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21
Use tongs or a spider to transfer the strips to the paper towels, tossing and moving them around so they take on squiggly shapes as they cool and harden.
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22
Continue in batches until all the tortilla strips are fried, adding more oil to the pan if necessary.
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23
When ready to serve, place the lettuce, avocado, and queso fresco in separate bowls to make serving easier.
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24
For each serving, place a few tortillas strips and a scoop of lettuce in a soup bowl.
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25
Ladle the soup into the bowl.
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26
Top with a spoonful of avocado, sprinkle some queso fresco on top, and serve.
