Chicken (or Vegetarian) Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, finely chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp veggie oil
4 cups water
2 chicken (or veggie) bouillon cubes
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp pepper
1 (15 oz) can tomato puree
1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
20 tortilla chips, crushed
1 large chicken breast, cooked and shredded
1 cup shredded cheese (Mexican, monterey or cheddar work well)
1 avocado sliced and tossed in lime juice

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven. Cook garlic, onions and red pepper until tender.
2. Stir in water, bouillon cubes, tomato puree, all spices and the crushed chips. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.
3. Stir in corn, green chiles, black beans and shredded chicken. Simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Stir in cheese until melted.
5. Put avocado slices in bowls and pour soup over it. Enjoy!

Notes: I recommend using the pulse function on a food processor for the red pepper and onion. Very finely chopped tastes the best in this soup. It makes about 4-6 servings and can be frozen and reheated later. If you take the chicken out and use veggie cubes, this can be a vegetarian dish.

Recipe Origination: I made it up after trying a few different recipes that were all just ok. I really like this combination!