Chicken Tortilla Soup

I made this soup last week, and it was oh so good.  Also, what could be healthier than chicken breast, corn, beans and tomatoes?  It was yummy and had just the right spice to it. 

As I was making it, I realized that my counter was cluttered with cans so I definitely was filling up the recycling bin that evening.  Of course, this soup was even better the next day. 

I thought that I would make this during the summer, leave out the chicken and serve the soup chilled.  Here is the recipe:

2 - 14 oz. cans petite diced tomatoes
2 - 14 oz. cans corn, drained (reserve vegetable broth for homemade vegetable soup)
1 - 14 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 - 14 oz. can chili beans, drained and rinsed
1 - 4 oz. can chopped green chiles, drained
2 - 14 oz. cans chicken broth
1 3/4 cups water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 small bunch of green onions (about 8), sliced thinly
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper to taste
2 boneless, chicken breasts, cubed and cooked
6 to 8 corn tortillas, cut into 1/4 inch strips
Garnish:  shredded cheddar cheese

Add all the ingredients except chicken, tortillas and garnish to a heavy stockpot.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Add chicken; heat 10 minutes. Toast tortilla strips in a 350 degree oven until crisp.  Ladle soup into bowls; sprinkle with tortilla strips and shredded cheese.  Serve and enjoy.

I made this recipe by combining a few different soup recipes.  You can always use 2 cans of black beans if you prefer, but I decided that I liked the color that comes from having two kinds of beans. Besides I had plenty of chili beans on hand but I only had 1 can of black beans.   

I also reserved about 1/3 of the second can of corn and used this in a Tex Mex tossed salad that I served with this meal.  Use a pizza cutter to cut the tortillas into strips when you toast those for the garnish.  I took the balance of the corn tortillas and sprinkled some of the cheese that I used for the garnish and I toasted these in the oven to serve on the side. 

You could add the cans of corn and not drain them, but the vegetable broth from a can of corn usually has a sweetness to it that I didn't want to put into this soup.  I prefer it in my homemade vegetable beef soup so I always pour the broth into a container that I keep in the freezer for soup fix ins.

Also, you don't have to use chicken breast meat, you could use diced turkey or leftover diced chicken - dark or white meat - it won't matter.  This was an easy supper meal for 5 people and we had enough for supper the next night. 

Sorry no pictures - forgot to take one but I promise that if you make this soup, you will have a very delicious and colorful meal to serve your family.