Southwestern Veggie Soup

Here's a zingy soup to warm you up on a cold night. Low fat, too.

• Ready In: 55 mins
• Serves: 3
• Yields: 5 cups

Ingredients

• 3  cups chicken broth or 3  cups vegetable broth
• 7 1⁄4 ounces diced tomatoes, with juice
• 1⁄2 cup water
• 1⁄2 cup  frozen cut corn
• 1⁄2 cup  frozen cut green beans
• 2  ounces  canned diced green chilies
• 1⁄4 cup  diced Spanish onion
• 2  ounces tomato sauce
• 3  corn tortillas, minced
• 3⁄4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1  dash garlic powder
• 1  dash Tabasco sauce

• Garnish

•  grated monterey jack and cheddar cheese blend
•  crumbled corn tortilla chips

Directions

1. Combine all the soup ingredients in a large saucepan or soup pot over high heat.
2. Be sure to mince the corn tortillas into small pieces with a sharp knife before adding them to the soup.
3. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the soup has thickened and tortilla pieces have mostly dissolved.
4. To serve soup, ladle 1½ cups into a bowl.
5. Sprinkle a heaping tablespoon of the grated cheddar/jack cheese blend over the top of the soup, and then a heaping tablespoon of crumbled corn tortilla chips over the cheese.
6. For Vegetarian use the vegetable broth.