Tortilla Soup

Tortilla Soup
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 green bell pepper, finely diced
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2-1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can Rotel tomatoes
48 oz. low sodium chicken broth
5 cups water
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
3 1/2 tablespoons cornmeal
5 corn tortillas, cut into strips
For garnish:
sour cream
cut up avocado
lime wedges

Heat olive oil in a large stock pot and add onions and peppers.  Cook until tender.  Add garlic, chicken, and seasonings.  Pour in tomatoes, chicken broth, water, and black beans and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered.  Add cornmeal to a little water and stir.  Pour into soup and simmer for 30 minutes.  Check seasonings and adjust as necessary (I always end up adding a lot of salt). Turn off heat and allow to sit for 10 minutes or so.  Five minutes before serving, add tortilla strips.  If I don't have tortilla strips, I skip this step and serve the soup with chips.  Let each person add whatever garnishes they choose.

*This soup freezes well.  Before adding tortilla strips, ladle out half the soup (taking care to have a nice mixture of broth and "goodies") and let cool.  Pour into a ziplock bag and freeze.  To reheat: bring to a boil and add tortilla strips.

Adapted from THE PIONEER WOMAN

Family Rating:
Brad: ****
Jordan: *****
Eli: *****
Phoebe: **
Overall Family Rating: 16/20