Chicken Tortilla Soup

I was inspired to make chicken tortilla soup one cold and rainy night this week. I had most of the ingredients on hand to make the base for a soup, and just added some of hubby's and my favorite "Mexican" ingredients. It turned out wonderfully.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup diced cellery
1/4 cup diced carrot
1/4 cup diced sweet onion

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 (10-ounce) can Mexicorn (corn and bell peppers), drained and rinsed

1 (14-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (-ounce) can green chiles, drained

1 tablespoon minced garlic (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)

2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded or sliced

2 teaspoons fajita seasoning blend

2 tablespoons ground cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

Garnishes, see below

In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add celery, carrot, and onion. Season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until veggies begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over the vegetables, and stir. Flour will form a paste; allow paste to cook for at least 2 minutes. Gradually add chicken broth, whisking. Heat the mixture until it begins to simmer and thicken, approximately 7-8 minutes.

Note: At this point, you have the base for pretty much any chicken soup you want to make!

Add mexicorn, beans, green chiles, and garlic. Mix and return to a simmer. Add cooked chicken and spices, seasoning the soup to taste. Simmer over low heat, covered, for 20-30 minutes.

After flavors have had time to meld, the soup is ready to eat! Serve with your favorite garnishes and enjoy!

Garnish Ideas:
Shredded cheese
Jalapenos
Chopped fresh cilantro
Fat free sour cream
Salsa
Sliced avacado
Corn tortilla chips
Your favorite cornbread