Monday Morsel from Mom - Chicken Tortilla Soup

I've been on a big soup kick lately. I'm sure it has something do to with the cold, rainy weather we've been having. So, last week I made my mom's version of Chicken Tortilla soup. It was delicious and just what we needed on a cold night.

Ingredients:

* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 large onion; chopped
* 1 large clove minced garlic
* 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
* 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
* 4 corn tortillas
* 1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes with chilies
* 6 cups chicken broth
* 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
* 2 to 3 cups chopped, cooked chicken
* 1 cup frozen corn kernels (optional)
* 1/2 cup heavy cream
* 1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro


Toppings:

* tortilla strips
* shredded cheese (preferable Monterrey Jack, but I had cheddar)
* chopped cilantro
* lime slices
* diced, seeded tomatoes
* chopped avocado



Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; sauté onions, peppers, and garlic for 3 minutes.


2. Break 4 tortillas into small pieces and add to onions and garlic.


3. Add tomatoes, broth and spices and bring to a boil. Cover & simmer 30 to 50 minutes, until flavors blend & tortillas fall apart.

4. Add chicken and corn and return to a boil then simmer for 5-10 minutes.


5. Add cream & 1T. chopped cilantro and cook on low 5 more minutes. Adjust seasonings- salt, pepper, cumin, oregano (if needed)


6. To serve, place tortilla strips in bowl, ladle soup over & garnish with cheese, tomato, cilantro & avocado. Serve with a slice of lime to squeeze over the top.


Mom's Tid-Bits:

* To make homemade tortilla strips: Cut 8 tortillas into narrow strips & fry in 1/2 inch oil until crisp (do them in batches- don’t crowd & stir so they don’t clump together).

* Feel free to use a store bought rotisserie chicken.

* One pot of soup will yield about 8 bowls with 270 calories each - not including your toppings.

* You can easily control the calories in this soup by choosing your toppings wisely. (I left out the tortilla strips. Hence why there are no photos of them. And I went easy on the cheese. - Nancy)