Tortilla Soup

This soup is a favorite. It is more like a hearty chicken vegetable soup with Mexican spices and garnishes. Be creative- you could use almost any vegetable that you like

1 pkg. of Mrs. Grass Homestyle chicken noodle soup mix (made by Wyler's)**
8 cups of water
1 14.5 oz. can of diced tomato's with juice
1 onion chopped
2 celery sticks diced
Carrots 1/2 bag of baby carrots or 2 large carrots sliced
4-5Potatoes diced (I used red potatoes and leave the skins on. You could use any potato you want)
1 Cup of frozen corn or 1 can of corn drained
1 can of beans drained (red, black,white)
1 lb. of chicken (I use the frozen boneless, skinless chicken tenders and slice them up)
3 T Lawrey's seasoning salt
1T Cumin
1T Cilantro (more if using fresh. Fresh can be added as a garnish to the bowl)
Grated Mexican Cheese
Tortilla Chips crushed
Lime Wedges

Take a little bit of olive oil and put it in a large soup pot. Heat and add your chicken pieces. Saute for 2-3 minutes until they are slightly golden in color. Add in your celery, onion, and carrots.Saute for an additional 2 minutes. Remove chicken and vegetables from pot. Add water, soup mix**, stir together. Add tomato's, potatoes, and all seasonings. Bring to a simmer and let potatoes cook for 5-10 minutes until they are beginning to soften. Add back chicken, and other vegetables, corn, and beans. Simmer just until potatoes are soft enough to prick with a fork.
Place in bowls and have cheese, tortilla chips, lime wedges, and fresh cilantro as a garnish.

** I take the soup mix and remove the noodles.(use a strainer with big holes) I just like the vegetables and seasoning of this mix. You could use chicken broth in a pinch, but the flavor of this mix is amazing.

When I am in a hurry I do not saute anything before. I start with the water, soup mix, and seasonings. I add in all the ingredients in the order of how much time they will need to cook. Be careful to not let the soup boil. Keep it at a simmer, and don't cook the chicken till closer to the end or it will get tough. You could also use a roaster chicken from the grocery store that is all cooked. Just shred the meat and add to soup.