Black Bean Tortilla Soup

My love of soup had humble beginnings. My mom could make a mean homemade soup, but when I was a child, nothing did it for me like a freshly opened can of Campbell's condensed cream of mushroom soup. Only when garnished with the finest crushed Premium Plus crackers, of course (I believe they're called soda crackers in the States).

Now, I'm well beyond my days of inhaling soup from a can. Sort of.


I have no objections to soups that have canned origins. As long as Campbell's doesn't go anywhere near them.


Now, I stick to canned beans and tomatoes. For convenience, canned beans are unbeatable. No soaking required. And canned tomatoes are picked at the height of freshness, which makes them a much better choice than so-called "fresh" tomatoes in the winter time. And they allow you to make hearty soups, like this black bean tortilla soup, adapted from a recipe by G. Garvin, at a moment's notice. Keep reading for the recipe.

Black Bean Tortilla Soup
Serves 6

1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium white onion, chopped
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1 15oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes, drained of liquid
1 cup frozen corn
1 6oz bag tortilla chips, or ~12 corn tortillas, toasted
4 cups chicken stock
1 - 2 cups cooked chicken
1 cup shredded cheddar
Sour cream

1. In a medium stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Saute until onions are soft. Stir in chili powder and cumin. Add black beans, tomatoes and corn.
2. Break up tortilla chips in the bag. Add broken chips to mixture in stock pot, stirring to mix well. Alternatively, break up toasted corn tortillas directly into stock pot. Add chicken stock. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer for 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add water to thin as necessary. Cook about 10 minutes more or until beans start to get soft and pasty.
3. Stir in cheese until melted. Top with sour cream (a must!) and tortilla chips. If you don't have any sour cream, a squirt of lime juice will do.