Tortilla Soup with Chicken and Lime

When the weather is cold, my favorite food is soup, especially a hearty soup that can stand alone as a meal. A steaming bowl of soup and some crusty bread is all it takes to make me happy when those cold winds blow! I found this particular recipe at Epicurious, but it seemed lacking in substance, so I have adapted it to our preferences. The base recipe had a really great flavor, but just wasn't hearty enough for me, so of course I added some extra veggies and some black beans. If you like it spicier than I do just add some sliced peppers to heat it up a notch. This Tortilla Soup also needs the baked tortilla strips, so don't leave them out, as they are so easy to make. Also, you may choose to saute the onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil , or you can just throw it all in the pot to cook. It's tasty either way!

Tortilla Soup with Chicken and Lime

For the tortilla strips you need 4-5 corn tortillas. Brush 1 side of tortillas lightly with olive oil and cut in half. Stack halves and cut crosswise into 1/4 inch wide strips. Spread strips on greased baking sheet and bake at 350 until golden, about 15 minutes. Cool on baking sheet.

You also need;

2 14& 1/2 cans of low- salt chicken broth

3 cups water

1 can of Rotel Tomatoes ( chopped with chilies; I use Mild)

1 bay leaf ( I forgot it)

1 garlic clove, pressed

1/8 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper, if desired

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2 in. wide strips

1 med. onion, finely diced

1/2 bell pepper, diced

1 large carrot, diced

1 small zucchini or yellow squash, quartered and sliced

1 &1/2 cup frozen corn

1 can of drained and rinsed black beans

1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

4 tablespoons fresh lime juice

If desired, saute onion and garlic in 1 t. olive oil. Add all ingredients to pot, EXCEPT the black beans, cilantro and lime juice. Simmer about 20- 30 min. Add the beans, cilantro and lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Adjust seasonings. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with tortilla chips.

CORRECTION! I wrote down 4 cups of water when it should have been 3. Sorry!