When it's like this outside.

This past weekend the temperatures dropped and you could feel the first breeze of fall rolling in. Great weather and its my favorite time of year to start cooking again. Generally, I stop cooking in the summer because it's just too darn hot and sticky to turn on an oven. I think I will start a fall series of recipes everyweek.

This week its....
Chicken Tortilla Soup





I made this tonight and it turned out very tasty. I was please that it wasn't overwhelmed with sodium like most soups. It's actually pretty healthy. An original recipe of mine! This batch is pretty large and is great for a family and leftovers!

Ingredients

3 Chicken breasts

3 Garlic cloves minced

1 cup of onion chopped

2 14 oz cans of diced tomatoes, drained

1 can of green chilies, drained

10 corn tortillas

1 8oz can tomato sauce

1 teaspoon cumin

1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

48 oz chicken broth ( I used College Inn Light and Fat free, 50%less sodium)

1 tablespoon olive oil

vegetable oil

Cheddar cheese

Cilantro

Optional toppings: sour cream, lime wedges, avocado



What you do...

1)Boil chicken breasts until cooked, about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2)In a large pan saute onions, garlic with a tablespoon of olive oil. Cook until onions are tender.

3)Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, green chili, oregano, and cumin. Stir

4) In a large sauce pan bring the chicken broth to boil. Add the tomato mixture to the sauce pan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Shred the cooled chicken

5)Slice tortillas in strips. In a pan of hot vegetable oil, fry the tortilla strips, about 30 seconds until they get golden. Place on a plate covered with a paper towel.

6)After the soup has simmered for 20 minutes add the shredded chicken and heat through.



Serve with the tortilla strips and sprinkle shredded cheddar on top and garnish with cilantro. You can also add other toppings such as sour cream, avocado, and a squeeze of a lime wedge.

Enjoy!