Chicken Tortilla Soup

I don't know what it's like where you are, but around here the weather has been absolutely beautiful lately. We've had temperatures in the mid-70's during the day, and in the 50's at night. It's such a welcome change from a typical hot and humid Ohio July, and we've been enjoying it to the fullest and spending a lot of time outside.

I threw this soup together very quickly last night, then let it simmer on the stove while Joe and I played outside with Andrew. I've been wanting to make tortilla soup at home for a while now. I became addicted to it when they started serving it at our cafeteria at work, and when they took it off the menu I was incredibly disappointed. But now I can make it myself anytime I want with this delicious recipe! This is some seriously delicious soup -- spicy, but not too spicy, and incredibly flavorful. Tortilla soup just isn't tortilla soup to me without homemade fried tortilla strips, so I sliced up a couple of flour tortillas and shallow-fried them until they were crispy. Along with the sour cream, they were the perfect topping for this soup. I'll definitely be making this one again, and I’m going to freeze a huge portion of it when I start making freezer meals before the new baby comes. You should definitely try this one; I don't think you'll be disappointed!

Chicken Tortilla Soup
source: adapted from Allrecipes

1 red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 14.5-ounce can chili-style diced tomatoes
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 4-ounce can chopped green chile peppers
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups cooked and shredded chicken (I used the legs and breasts of a rotisserie chicken)
Optional toppings for serving: shredded cheese, tortilla strips, sliced avocado, sour cream

1. In a medium stock pot, heat oil over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic in oil until soft. Stir in chili powder, oregano, cumin, tomatoes, and stock. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Stir in corn, chiles, beans, cilantro, and chicken. Simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Ladle soup into individual serving bowls, and top with desired toppings.