Chicken Tortilla Soup

Oh how I love soup.  Oh how my family does not.  Sometimes they just have to suffer.

Most of the time I make this in the crockpot, I just cook the chicken in there by itself for awhile and then shred it and add everything else except flour/water and sour cream that I just add at the end.  Crockpots and soups are forgiving like that.

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 T vegetable oil

4 oz can green chilies

15 oz can stewed tomatoes (Italian style or add 1 t oregano)

4 c broth

1 t lemon pepper

2 t Worcestershire sauce

1 t chili powder

1 t cumin

1/2 t hot sauce

4 T flour

1/2 c water

1 lb skinless boneless chicken breast, cut into cubes

1/3 c sour cream

salt and pepper to taste

tortilla strips (1/4 inch strips baked 10 min in 400 degree oven) or tortilla chips

cilantro, optional

white beans, optional

In a large saucepan, cook the onion and garlic over moderately low heat for 5 minutes or until onion is soft.  Add chilies, tomatoes, broth, and spices.  Simmer for 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine flour with water and whisk it into the soup.  Bring back to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add the chicken and simmer for 5 minutes until cooked through (this does not seem long enough to cook chicken??  The last several times I've made it in the crockpot so I don't remember how it turned out for me making it this way.  Goes without saying, thoroughly cook your chicken people.)  Add a drained can of white beans if desired and warm through, stir in sour cream, salt and pepper, and garnish with cilantro and tortillas.