soup from a can

I've never been a soup fan. Well, I take that back - I have always loved creamy tomato soup accompanied by buttery grilled cheese or even crackers. But other soups have always seemed so boring and predictable and bland to me. Especially soup from a can. Well, due to my friend Suzy I now have a new attitude thanks to her easy-peasy tortilla soup made from staple ingredients and a few special ones. Perfect for packing up for lunches or for a relatively quick dinner. Especially great during this winter lull of local veggies. I've been making batch after batch over the last few weeks since being introduced to the formula. And she's right - regardless of the exact ingredients or quantities it always turns out!

Suzy's Easy-Peasy Tortilla Soup
Feel free to experiment with quantities and ingredients - Suzy swears there's no real recipe but here's my version (using organic when I can)...

1 medium white onion, chopped
cooking spray
1 large 28oz. can of diced tomatoes
2 16 oz. cans of corn
2 16 oz. cans of dark kidney beans
1 small can of green diced chilies
cumin
chili powder
4 C water
4 small vegetable bouillon cubes (or amount for 4 C water)
avocado (optional)
shredded cheddar/mexican cheese (optional)
tortilla chips (optional)

Spray a large stock pot with cooking spray to coat the pot. Heat pot over medium heat and add chopped white onion and cook until translucent, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes, corn, kidney beans, and chilies along with their can juices (just dump it all in!). Cook over medium-high heat along with approximately 4 cups water and appropriate bouillon. Add more or less water as desired. Season with cumin and chili powder as desired (heavy on both for me).

Just keep cooking the soup for about 30 minutes over medium-high or so until all of the flavors have commingled and the ingredients are soft. Serve piping hot with tortilla chips, shredded cheese, and chopped avocado as garnish (or you can place the chips in the bottom of the bowl too - that's how Suzy recommends it).

This soup reheats well so make a big batch to take for lunches or as a quick ready-made dinner.