Quickie Tortilla Soup

• 4 cans chicken broth
• 2 cubes of chicken with tomato bouillon (found in Hispanic food section of grocery store, I used the brand Knorr)
• 1 medium onion, cut in half
• 1 stalk of celery
• 2 carrots
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed

Place these ingredients in large pot, bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for about 15 min.  This step gives it that "has been simmering all day" yumminess.  Remove/strain the vegetables and add the following to the broth:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or 2 boneless chicken breasts), cut into chunks
• 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• Handful of cilantro leaves, rough chopped
• Jalapeno, cut in half and seeded  (optional/or may add more if you want more "heat")
• If you are a tortilla soup purist, your ingredient list stops here.  Otherwise, you can add your choice of vegetable(s):
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 zucchini, cubed
• 1/2-1 can hominy, drained
• Diced carrot
• 1/2-1 can black beans or pinto beans, drained

Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until chicken/vegetables are done.

I like a soup with a lot of broth so I added corn and zucchini to mine...the more vegetables you add, the thicker your soup will be.


Now, don't skip the toppings...these are what take the soup to the next level!

• Avocado
• Tortilla strips (I cut up some stale corn tortillas and quickly fried them in olive oil until crisp)
• Cheese (I prefer mine without but shredded Monterey Jack or Queso fresco are good options)
• Fresh lime wedges

This recipe makes 4 generous servings. 

Hope you enjoy!