Lunch today... Tortilla Soup with Black Beans

I love white corn tortilla chips. I pretty much never buy them so my only interaction with them is typically at Mexican restaurants. When I come upon them, however, I could probably consume an endless supply. Today's ready-in-15-minutes lunch of Tortilla Soup with Black Beans uses white corn tortilla chips and so I was forced (okay, so not exactly forced) to buy a bag. I used a handful for the recipe, now the trick will be to not eat the rest of the enormous bag in one sitting!


In any case, this recipe is ridiculously simple and relies on pantry staples: garlic, chili powder, frozen corn kernels, canned diced tomatoes, canned black beans, chicken broth and the aforementioned tortilla chips. Oh and a fresh lime, but I consider that to be a pantry staple in my kitchen because a squeeze of fresh lime juice is such a great finisher on so many dishes.

In any case, to make this soup, you saute the chili powder and garlic in olive for a couple of minutes, then add the rest of the ingredients save for the tortilla chips, bring the soup to a boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer for a couple of minutes before stirring in the crushed chips and the fresh lime juice. And you're done. Easy as can be and super fast. Plus, it tastes great and makes for a hearty lunch on a cold day like today. The only caution: make it just before you want to eat it, because the tortilla chips will absorb the broth and after a little while it thickens quite a bit. I think it also might be nice to top the soup with some cheddar and chopped avocado, but today we ate it as is. Okay, with a couple of extra tortilla chips on top. Couldn't help myself!