Soup is one of my all-time favorite meals; I could eat it every day during winter, spring and fall. And sometimes in the summer.

If you like to make your own stock, soup makes an incredibly delicious, hearty and healthy meal. And making stock is easier than you think. The first thing I do is store all chicken carcasses, steak bones, lobster shells or pork bones from whatever I happen to have eaten recently in freezer bags. And during the week, I also keep various vegetable trimmings in a freezer bag, then dump it into a crockpot with the meat bones or shells and let it simmer on low for several hours. Then, pour it through a sieve or use a skimmer to remove the bones and extra stuff (but keep the meat in). And voilà.

Homemade Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

6 cups chicken or homemade broth 
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 small onion, diced
12-16 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 large zucchini, trimmed and halved
1 carrot, peeled and quartered
1 bell pepper, halved and seeded
1/2 jalapeño chile, seeded
2-3 large garlic cloves, peeled
2-3 cups chicken, cooked and chopped
1 cup whole kernel corn
3 teaspoons ground cumin
3 teaspoons chile powder
4 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Tortilla chips and sour cream, for garnish

Directions:

1. Place stock in large saucepan or pot on medium heat.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil.
3. Coarsely chop tomatoes, zucchini, carrot, bell pepper, jalapeño and garlic (or use food processor to chop); add to skillet.
4. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until vegetables are slightly browned.
5. Add to pot, and bring to a low boil.
6. Add chicken, corn and cumin and chile powder and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes.
7. Top with chopped cilantro, and add salt and pepper to taste.
8. Serve with tortilla strips, sour cream and cilantro, as desired.

Print recipe below.