Terrible day at work today. I think I talked to the rudest customer in my five years of being at the bookstore, so I politely placed her on hold and asked someone else to finish the call. Then I came home and made chicken tortilla soup!

During the week I'm cooking only for myself-since my boyfriend works and goes to school I don't see him. This recipe should yield 4 servings. That's enough for me to eat dinner, take a serving to work, and feed my boyfriend once this weekend. If he were eating with me tonight, I'd double the recipe.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1/2 yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried cilantro

1 (10 oz) can ROTEL diced tomatoes with habaneros, drained

1/2 (14.5 oz) can of diced tomatoes, drained

1 cup whole kernel corn, cooked

1/2 (15 oz) can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14 oz) can low sodium chicken broth

3/4 cup water

1 chicken breast, cooked and cut into bite-size pieces

Toppings:

Cheese

Tortilla chips

Directions:

1) In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until softened. Stir in chili powder, oregano, tomatoes & habaneros, cilantro, chicken broth, and water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

2) Stir in corn, beans, and chicken. simmer for 10 minutes.

3) Ladle into bowls. Top with cheese and tortilla chips. Serve warm.

This recipe is kind of spicy, but I love the heat! I used mozarella cheese because that's what I had on hand, but monterey jack or cheddar would probably be better. I also used the tiny broken chips at the bottom of the bag as the topping.

mmmm. This bad day has disappeared in a flash.