Healthy Friday

While much of the country is in a deep freeze and many are in need of a warm up 

so how about a big bowl of  Chicken Tortilla Soup? 
This Mexican soup is a fairly recent incarnation. The soup is named for the fried corn tortilla strips used. It can usually be found on Mexican and Tex-Mex menus. Toppings for the soup include sour cream, avocado, cilantro and homemade tortilla chips.

Chicken Tortilla Soup
Cook's notes: The soup turns up the heat with a bit of a kick to it with loads of Mexican flavor using Mexican salsa, cumin and chili powder. Using a rotisserie chicken is a time saver. Prepared tortilla chips can be substituted over making your own.  
Ingredients:

• 4 cups cooked chicken, shredded
• 1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chiles with juice
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1/2 cup each mini sweet red and yellow peppers 
• 2 garlic cloves, minced 
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 32 oz. low sodium chicken broth 
• 1 (7.76 oz.) Mexican salsa
• 1/4 tsp.each cumin and chili powder 
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 3/4 tsp.sugar
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 1/2 can black beans drained and rinsed
• 1 TB. lime juice
• 1 TB.fresh cilantro,minced

Directions:

• In a large soup pot saute onions and peppers in 1 TB olive oil for 3 minutes. Add in garlic and saute 2 minutes more. 
• Add in rest of ingredients except lime juice and cilantro. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook 45 minutes. Add lime juice and remove bay leaf before serving. Garnish with cilantro. 

Optional Homemade Corn Tortillas Strips
Ingredients:

• 7 small corn tortillas
• vegetable oil

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil.
• Cut into strips and place on a cookie sheet.
• Bake until crisp about 10 minutes.
• To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup. 

"Worries go down better with soup"

Jewish proverb