Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup (akayf)
Serves 6-8

8 corn tortillas
Cooking spray
1 ½ Tbs. plus 1 tsp chili powder
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into ½ cubes
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs. ground cumin
¼ tsp ground red pepper
3 cans chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1. Preheat oven to 350. Cut 4 of the tortillas into very thin strips and place on a baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with 1 tsp of chili powder and ¼ tsp of salt. Toss to coat and bake until crisp (10-15 minutes). Set aside when done.

2. While the strips are baking, heat oil in a large pot on medium high. Add chicken and cook until juices run clear. (about 5 minutes) Remove chicken and set aside.

3. Add bell pepper, onion, and garlic to pot and cook until they soften(about 5 minutes) Stir in spices and then add broth, tomatoes, corn, and beans to the pot.

4. Cut remaining 4 tortillas into thin strips and add to pot. Stir in chicken and cover. Cook for about 20 minutes on medium.

5. Top each serving with some of the baked tortilla strips.

Notes: If I don’t have any cumin or ground pepper, I just add extra chili powder to spice it up. I never measure the spices either; I just season to taste. Also, if you get the diced tomatoes with green chilies or jalapeños, it adds an extra kick to the soup