How To Make A Quick And Easy Tortilla Soup

Make this quick and easy tortilla soup using leftovers and basic ingredients. It's #frugal and delicious! #soup

We spent the morning replacing some fencing and by lunchtime we were really feeling that 25° windchill! We were cold and hungry when we came inside at noon.

I decided on a pot of soup for lunch since it would be quick and easy. And hot! The kind of soup where you just dump a bunch of stuff in a saucepan and heat it up.

So I grabbed a can of black beans, a pint jar of stewed tomatoes, a large handful of frozen corn kernels, and a pint jar of home-canned turkey and broth. My version of tortilla soup (some folks call it taco soup) is based loosely on this one.

Click here to subscribe to The Acorn, Oak Hill Homestead's weekly-ish newsletter.

To make a pot of your own tortilla soup, don't be afraid to substitute what you have on hand. Here's my own recipe, which you can use as a jumping-off-place. Unless I'm baking, I often use a recipe just as a guideline.

Baking is different, more of a science, and the ratios and combination of ingredients are more important. Soup though, soup is easy; you can substitute or add ingredients as much as you like.

You probably noticed that I used leftover turkey instead of chicken that day. See? Use what you have.

Ingredients:
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of stewed tomatoes (or plain canned tomatoes, or even a couple of chopped, fresh tomatoes)
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 cups chicken stock (add an additional cup of stock or water if using fresh tomatoes instead of canned)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
couple drops of hot sauce, or to taste
chopped leftover chicken (optional)

We like our soup on the thick side, what Rachel Ray calls "stoup" - a cross between stew and soup. You can add more chicken stock or water if you prefer. Add some chopped green or red pepper if you wish.

This quick and delicious tortilla soup is made with basic ingredients you probably have in your pantry and refrigerator! #soup #recipe

Add all the ingredients to a saucepan and heat to boiling, then simmer until the vegetables are softened. Ladle into bowls, add some grated cheddar cheese if desired, and a dollop of sour cream if you wish. Crumble some tortilla chips on top. Makes 3-4 servings, depending on how big your appetite is.

If you have time, roasting the vegetables before adding them to the soup pot would be an awesome tweak.

It's a perfect soup to warm you up on a cold day, and to use up some leftovers too.

Related posts:
How to Make Chicken Stock from Scratch
Can Tomatoes, No Matter What Kind You're Growing
How to Can Dry Beans