Dear February:

You are quite the long, dreary month.   You keep changing your mind about the weather and I am not sure I can keep up... But never fear, with the help of Pioneer Woman and Swing Dancing music I can cure the February blues with this Chicken Tortilla Soup.  I know, I know it's my second soup, but what can I say - soup is the answer to every "I don't know what to cook" question.  And today I wanted something spicy, full of veggies (minus tomatoes -yuck -), and not creamy (gasp!).  So I undertook this fun recipe from the Pioneer Woman (love her - she is the cook I aspire to be one day = living on a ranch, homeschool mom, photographer, witty, gorgeous, etc).  I changed/added a few things because of what was in the pantry today (who wants to go out shopping for one meal!).  


Here is the website I got it from: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/01/chicken-tortilla-soup/

 Ingredients

• About half of a Rotisserie Chicken 
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1-½ teaspoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
• ½ teaspoons Garlic Powder
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 1-1/2 Diced Onion
• I large Red Bell Pepper
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 15 ounces, fluid Chicken Stock
• 6 cups Hot Water
• Half a jar of White Corn & Black Bean Salsa
• A few spoonfulls of average Salsa
• 2 cans (15 Oz. Can) Black Beans, Drained
• 1 can (15 Oz. Can) White Kernel Corn, drained
• 5 whole Corn Tortillas, Cut Into Uniform Strips Around 2 To 3 Inches

Preparation Instructions

Mix cumin, chili pepper, garlic powder, and salt together.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add onions, red pepper, green pepper, and minced garlic  (Kelsey NOTE: I forgot to put the garlic in here, so remember next time!). Stir and begin cooking, then add some of the spice mix. Stir to combine, then add shredded chicken more spices and stir.

Pour in chicken stock, water, corn, salsa and black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, covered.

Check seasonings, adding more if needed—add more chili powder if it needs more spice, and be sure not to undersalt. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Five minutes before serving, gently stir in tortilla strips.

Ladle into bowls, then top with sour cream, diced red onion, diced avocado, pico de gallo, and grated cheese, if you have it! (The garnishes really make the soup delicious.)

This was before I put the tortilla's in.... Kelsey Note: don't use anything else besides corn tortillas because you don't want to spend another 15 minutes of your life picking out the mushy mess that once was another type of tortilla... trust me, future self - you don't....