Tortilla Soup

I know it may come as a huge surprise to some of you, but I've been doing a lot of cooking lately.  I surprise myself because I actually enjoy doing it.  Last night I made tortilla soup for the first time and I have to compliment myself because it was delicious!

 Ingredients:

• 10 corn tortillas
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 yellow squash, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 large carrots, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• olive oil
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 2 (15-ounce) cans chopped tomatoes, drained (I used Rotel for flavor.)
• 1 can corn kernels, drained
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• Chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 jalapeno, seeds removed and chopped
• 1 1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken (I bought a rotisserie chicken that was already cooked.)

Step 1: Saute zucchini, yellow squash, onion, carrots, celery and garlic in olive oil until cooked (about 5-10 minutes)
Step 2: Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, corn, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, jalapeno and cilantro.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 30-45 minutes.
Step 3: Add chicken and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

I fried my own tortilla strips to use as a garnish.
Step 1: Heat canola oil in a pan on the stove top.
Step 2: Slice tortillas into strips.
Step 3: Toss strips into hot oil, turning until golden brown.

Your final product should look something like this:

I had lots of leftover tortillas so I made chips as well.  Just cut the tortillas into wedges instead of slices.

And fry just like you fried the tortilla strips.  These are excellent with homemade guacamole!

Here's a look at the final product.  In addition to the tortilla strips, I garnished with cilantro, shredded cheese and an avocado slice.  Bon appetit!