Chicken Tortilla Soup, just like Loca Luna's!

For those of you in the Little Rock area, you're probably very familiar with the Loca Luna chicken tortilla soup!  It's a huge bowl of soup that comes with a huge plate of "fixins"...cilantro, purple onion, lime, avocado (my favorite!) and of course tortilla strips!  Now, I'm not promising that this is the exact same soup but I will tell you that it is just as tasty! I found this at BacktotheCountingBoard.com.  I pretty much followed this recipe but didn't add the carrots and instead of grape tomatoes, I used Rotel (makes it good and spicy!).  It even says this is a healthy chicken tortilla soup...BONUS!  :)  Really it's the lime, cilantro, and tortilla strips that make this absolutely fantastic!

• 16 oz. cherry/grape tomatoes (or 1 can of diced tomatoes, with chilies if like things spicier)
• 2 med. carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, diced*
• 3 tsp. olive oil
• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
• 1 large onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. onion powder
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. tumeric
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup water (plus more if needed)
• 12 oz. frozen corn
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 3/4 cup fresh cilantro, divided
• 1 cup 2% milk shredded Mexican cheese blend
• 4 whole wheat tortillas
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

1. Add tomatoes, carrots and green pepper to a blender or food processor and mix until blended, but still chunky. Set aside.
2. Heat 2 tsp. olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add in the cubed chicken and cook until it’s completely cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.
3. Shred the chicken using a fork.
4. Meanwhile, heat another tsp. of oil in the same pan you cooked the chicken in (wiped out, but doesn’t need to be washed) over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until translucent, about 5-8 minutes. Remove from heat.
5. Put the onions, garlic and chicken in a large stock pot or dutch oven (at least 4-5 quarts). Add in all the spices and cook over medium heat for one minute.
6. Add in the tomato mixture, chicken broth, water, corn and beans and 1/2 cup cilantro.  I just put into the crock pot and let it simmer all afternoon! 
7. When the soup is ready, place tortillas on a baking sheet (you may need to do two at a time) and put under your broiler for a few minutes until browned and crispy, then turn over and toast the other side. Watch closely so you don’t burn them. Cool for a few minutes and then break into strips.
8. Ladle soup into a bowl and top with a handful of tortillas and a couple of tablespoons of cheese. Sprinkle with the remaining cilantro., (and any other garnish that you might like!) Squeeze a wedge of lime over it just before eating.

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