Mmm...Monday: Chicken Tortilla Soup

At the request of some of my Facebook friends, here's the recipe for Friday night's dinner.

Update 1/2014: This is a pretty loose recipe, so modify it freely. I like it best when I use chicken stock from my crockpot rotisserie chicken recipe, which is a little bit spicy and adds a lot of flavor. I usually don't bother with the jalapeno, and most of the time I don't even bother with the salsa or the garlic (if I've got good, flavorful homemade stock).

(Note: I took this picture after adding sour cream)

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 onion, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped (leave at least some of the seeds if you want it a little spicy)
1-2 T taco seasoning mix (homemade)
1 garlic clove, pressed
4 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. thick and chunky salsa
1/4 c. lime juice
2 c. chopped cooked chicken
1/4 c. snipped fresh cilantro (optional--see note)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can (1.5-2 cups) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (1-1.5 cups) corn, drained

Dump everything in the crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-6 (basically, until the onions are no longer crunchy). If your chicken is already cooked really well (like if you did it in a crockpot the first time you cooked it), you'll want to wait and add it at the end, just to heat it through--otherwise it will tend to disintegrate.

Serve with optional toppings like shredded cheese, sour cream, and broken tortilla chips (or homemade tortilla strips—cut tortillas into thin strips and bake 12 min. at 375*). Makes 6-8 servings.

Note: When I have extra fresh cilantro, I wash it and chop it up and put tablespoon-ish amounts in  ice cube trays. Add a little water and freeze, and then you can easily add a couple of frozen cubes when you're making soup.