Chicken Tortilla Soup

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Servings: 6

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1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves minced
1 (4-ounce) can of chopped green chilies (the recipe says drained, but the green chilies I buy have a sauce that I like to keep).
1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes (I actually use the canned ones that have green chilies and lime, chipotle, or mexican stewed).
1 finely chopped jalapeno pepper (optional)
1 (12 ounce) can spicy V8 juice (I put in a little more than that and a little less water)
4 1/2 cups water
1 beef bouillon cube
1 chicken bouillon cube
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
vegetables (such as zucchini, corn, black beans, etc)
fried tortillas, in strips for garnish ( or tortilla chips)
avocados, cubed, for garnish
shredded cheese, for garnish
cilantro, for garnish
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1. Heat some of the water in the microwave until almost boiling. Add the bouillon and stir to dissolve.

2. In a large pot, saute first four ingredients until tender.

3. Add the remaining ingredients in the ingredients list up to and including the chicken (also include the bouillon water and the remaining water).

4. Cover and bring to a boil.

5. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about an hour.

6. Add any additional vegetables that you want in the soup.

7.Simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 30 more minutes.

8. If you are using corn tortillas, fry them in some vegetable oil until they are slightly crisp, then cut them into pieces and serve with soup.

* This is easily converted into a crock-pot meal, just follow the directions and put it into a crock-pot instead of the pot and don't worry about bringing it to a boil and then a simmer. Just throw everything in. 3-4 hours on low should be good.*