I’m going to pretend like it hasn’t been five months since my last post and move on from there.   Here is my current favorite song for those who might need a music break.

And here is the Tortilla Soup recipe originally taken from MAKE IT FAST, COOK IS SLOW by Stephanie O’Dea but modified slightly by yours truly:

Ingredients:

• chicken breasts
• onion, chopped (I use yellow)
• 1 cup frozen roasted corn (I usually get this at Trader Joe’s)
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 28 oz can tomatoes with their juices (I stock up on Trader Joe’s 14.5 oz Diced & Fire Roasted Organic tomatoes and usually use 2 to 3 cans for a large batch of soup)
•  1 cup chopped fresh vegetables ( I use celery, carrots and/or anything that needs to be used.   You can toss in broccoli, mushroom, zucchini)
•  4 garlic cloves (I alway toss in extra garlic.   Great for the immune system)
• crushed red pepper flakes (Go easy.   You can add more later.   The recipe calls for 1/4 teaspoon and you  might want to start there)
•  1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• kosher salt (I use sea salt)
• 3 cups organic chicken broth (I stock up on Trader Joe’s or Pacifica as far as brands go.   Both are organic and gluten-free)
• tortilla chips, shredded cheese, sour cream, for garnish  (You can also garnish with avocado and more green onions)

Directions:

I use a 6 oz slow cooker though the original recipe calls for 4 oz.   Everyone seems to love this soup and I try to send some over to my mother-in-law and brother-in-law.   You can also make it in smaller doses by using one chicken breast, 1 can of fire roasted tomatoes, and less of everything.  It’s almost impossible to screw this soup up. Except for the time I went crazy with the cayenne and then I added more broth to tame it.  But drag out the crock pot because it will be worth it.

So you can start with frozen chicken breasts if that’s easier.   If I’m starting with frozen, I’ll toss a couple of breasts in the slow cooker with the onion and maybe some olive oil.   After I walk Texas Jones, I can finish the rest.   The longer it cooks the better.   Toss everything else in and cook on low for 8 hours.   The recipe says you can cook it on high for 4 hours but don’t.   If I don’t have enough time for it to cook 8 hrs, I’ll keep it in the fridge overnight and heat it up for dinner in the afternoon.  The original recipe says to start with cooked chicken but I really love the slow cooked feel and it easier not to have to cook the chicken first.  I always add more vegetables and let everything cook down.   The chicken breast might need to be shredded a bit at the end.  Below is Mr. Jones waiting for his walk.

Don’t forget the garnishes.   This soup is super healthy and comforting, especially if you don’t go crazy with the cheese and sour cream.