Soup for you!

I don't know about you, but once the weather dips below 50 degrees, I start craving soup. Unlike my daughter who categorically hates soup (with the exception of Italian wedding soup), I love the stuff.The beauty of soup is that you can't really screw it up. You can add as many vegetables, beans, meat or fish that you'd like and any number of interesting spices. I am a big fan of all things Mexican, so this is one of my favorite soups this time of year. If you're vegetarian, just leave out the chicken, use vegetarian broth and add another can of pinto or black beans. Corn, zucchini or bell peppers can be added for extra color, fiber and other nutrients. Ole!Black Bean Tortilla SoupIngredients:3 chicken breasts (about 1 lb chicken)2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed2 cups low sodium chicken broth1 (15 oz) can tomatoes w/green chiles1 small (8 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained & rinsed or 1 cup frozen corn1 small onion, chopped2 cloves garlic minced1 tsp. oregano1 tsp. cumin1/2 cup chopped cilantro (optional)2% milk shredded cheddar cheese for garnish (optional)salt/pepper to tasteDirections:Trim fat from chicken, then boil the chicken until fully cooked in a stock pot with ~4-5 cups water. Skim off excess fat and save broth. Remove chicken from pot and cut into 1" pieces.Return the chicken to the broth and add all of the above ingredients except cilantro and cheese. Allow the soup to simmer for about 20 minutes until the beans are soft and the onions are cooked. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with 1 tsp. chopped cilantro and 1 tsp. 2% milk shredded cheese. Makes 8 (1 cup) servings.