Grandma's Easy Tortilla Soup With Toppings

As much as I love soup, in my opinion good soup is hard to make. You need the right ratio of ingredients, the right seasonings, and the right accompaniments. I've had Tortilla Soup in Mexico and Mexican restaurants. This soup comes close to the authentic version that I have enjoyed.

In fact , I think the recipe I devised is so good I sent it to my college-age grandson. He shares an apartment with three friends and is the only one who loves to cook. This recipe is a quick one and if you don't have time to chop onions, you may use frozen ones or even dehydrated.

Since I try to eat healthy, I used 93% lean hamburger, reduced sodium vegetable juice, and reduced sodium taco seasoning. For the topping I used reduced fat sour cream. If you want a more authentic Mexican dish, buy some yellow corn tortillas, cut them into thin strips, coat them with baking spray, and bake them in a 400-degree oven until crisp. Use these strips instead of crumbled taco chips

I try to cook ahead on weekends. If you want to cook ahead, make the soup and freeze it without the garnishes. Serve this flavorful soup with a tossed green salad and the dessert of your choice. Here is my original recipe for Grandma's Easy Tortilla Soup with Toppings.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound lean hamburger

1 medium onion, chopped

1 small red pepper, chopped

1 small green pepper, chopped

15. 25-ounce can of corn with liquid

16-ounce carton of chicken stock (I used salt-free. )

Two 1 . 25-ounce envelopes of taco seasoning. (Use one and half of the other. )

1/2 cup salsa of your choice (I used medium hot. )

Salt, if you think the soup needs it

Crumbled taco chips

Shredded Cheddar cheese (I used reduced fat. )

1 ripe avocado, chopped

Sour cream

Coat the bottom of a soup kettle with olive oil. Crumble hamburger and saute until brown. Add chopped vegetables, corn, chicken stock, vegetable juice, taco seasoning, and salsa. Cover and simmer over low heat for half an hour. Garnish each serving with shredded Cheddar cheese, crumbled taco chips, ripe avocado, and dollops of sour cream. You may also garnish the soup with wedges of lime. Makes 8 generous servings.