The howling wind and driving rain kept me awake most of the night. As I tossed and turned, I kept thinking to myself, “This soupy weather dictates staying home tomorrow and making a big pot of delicious soup.” I thought about a party I’d been to a couple of weeks ago. Someone had brought a great chicken tortilla soup. After begging the soup maker for the recipe, she finally relented and gave it to me verbally. I didn’t even have to write it down – that’s how simple the recipe is! The recipe may have Trader Joe’s origins, but am not totally sure. I tried making this soup, but made a few changes to the recipe by adding hominy, cumin, leaf oregano, and additional chicken broth. I also added the shredded chicken towards the end of the cooking period so it would not dry out and lose flavor. I think the changes were worthwhile.
My adaptation of Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup:
1 store bought rotisserie chicken or any left over chicken meat, shredded
2 (32 oz). boxes chicken broth
1 can (15 oz.) whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can hominy, drained
1 jar of Trader Joe’s Double Roasted Salsa
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2″ chunks
Topping ingredients below
Pour 1 box of stock into a stockpot. Add corn, beans, hominy, salsa, and carrots. Stir until mixed. Add ground cumin and dried oregano leaves to taste. Cook until carrots are tender. Add shredded chicken. Add more chicken broth if soup needs more liquid. Stir. Simmer 10-15 minutes longer or until soup comes to a boil again.
While soup is simmering, assemble your toppings:
Crushed tortilla chips
Fresh lime wedges,
Chopped cilantro
Sour cream
Shredded cheese
Chopped chili peppers
Serve while hot and garnish with toppings.
Enjoy this souper easy recipe!
What about this? 
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