Soul - Soothing Tortilla Soup Recipe!

While we're on the topic of chicken stock, I thought I'd share with you one of my favorite uses for my homemade stock- tortilla soup.

Tortilla soup is the ultimate comfort food to me. Serve it with some warm quesadillas, dripping in melted cheese, and you have my version of culinary bliss. But I also love Mexican food with all my heart. If you love Mexican food, then you'll love this super easy recipe! I got it from my mother in law, who is one of the best cooks I know!

Whip this up when you want some food bliss:

2 cloves organic garlic, minced
2 tablespoons organic butter
2 teaspoons organic ground cumin
28 oz. organic, homemade chicken stock
2 cans (14.5 oz. each) organic diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup organic salsa
1/2 cup coarsely chopped organiccilantro (I leave this out when pressed for time!)
8 oz. organic, raw monterey jack or cheddar cheese, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
4 organic corn tortillas, cut into strips (I use Food for Life's Ezekiel sprouted corn tortillas- AMAZING!)

Cook garlic in butter in large saucepan or Dutch oven two minutes. Add cumin; cook and stir 1 minute. Add broth, tomatoes and salsa; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 30 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in cilantro. Place 1/4 cup of the cheese in the bottom of each bowl. Ladle soup over cheese, top with tortilla strips. Serve.

How easy is that? It also freezes great, tastes better the next day, and pleases everyone! I always make a double batch and serve it the next day. Oh! and I also always add chicken, too, for a complete meal. I'll roast an organic chicken and shred it into the soup. Whip up a double batch of the soup and you've got dinner for 2 nights and lunch on the 3rd day. I also make quesadillas with the same Ezekiel corn tortillas and serve those along side the soup. (Heat the tortillas in a pan on medium heat with some butter until they're pliable, shred a ton of cheese into them, fold them closed, and keep turning until the cheese is 100& melted- so yummy!)

Garnish the soup with some organic, full fat sour cream, and some organic avacado slices along with the tortilla strips, and you will be in heaven!

Enjoy!