Michele's Chicken Tortilla Soup

I used to go to a local Mexican restaurant all the time for this soup. I finally decided I needed to learn to make it because eating out was costing me way too much ;) I looked through several recipes for the soup, combined some, and then tweaked until I came up with a recipe that was close to that of my favorite Mexican place. This is quick and easy and I usually get rave reviews when I make this for a crowd. I hope you enjoy it! :) PS. This soup has a mild heat. If you like it spicier, add a can of chopped chilies or a diced jalepeno. I've also substituted the Rotel tomatoes with a really good chunky salsa when I couldn't find them. And I like to garnish with a lime wedge.

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

• 2  canned chicken broth, 48 fl oz
• 3  garlic cloves, finely diced
• 1  teaspoon cumin
• 2  teaspoons fresh basil, chopped
• 2  tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
• 1  taco seasoning, 1 . 25 oz
• 1  can  diced tomatoes and green chilies, 10 oz
• 1  can  diced tomatoes, with lime and cilantro 10 oz
• 1  medium zucchini, sliced and cut into half moons
• 1  medium onion, diced
• 1  can black beans, 15 . 5 oz
• 2  cooked chicken breasts, shredded
• 3  cups  steamed long grain white rice
•  shredded monterey jack cheese
•  crushed corn tortilla chips
• 1  sliced avocado

Directions

1. Put the broth in a large stock pot, add the garlic, basil, cumin, cilantro, taco seasoning, tomatoes, and veggies.
2. Simmer until broth is hot and veggies are cooked but still crisp.
3. Add the cooked chicken and heat through.
4. Spoon small portions (about a 1/4 cup) of the cooked rice into individual soup bowls and pour broth, veggies and chicken over rice. Top with shredded monterey jack cheese, tortilla chips and sliced avocado.