Winter hit Kansas with a wallop – a layer of snow and record-breaking, frigid temperatures. Nothing chases the chill quicker than the wonderful aroma of a bubbling pot of soup emanating from the kitchen.

Delicious soups are easily made, and a homemade soup always tastes better than anything out of a can. Soup is forgiving – you can easily add a few vegetables hiding out in the fridge that need to be used. You can adjust the seasonings to your individual taste.

The soup recipe I have for you today is a zesty soup with aromatic vegetables, a lean protein and is liberally laced with the flavors of the Southwest. Although many of us may have overindulged during the holidays, Southwest Chicken Tortilla Soup is basically a healthy soup as long as you don’t go overboard on the garnishes.

This soup can be put together rather quickly. To save time, I use cooked chicken. If you have leftover chicken, use it. If not, rotisserie chicken available in supermarkets is quite tasty. Often I will purchase one and use part for this recipe and the remainder for another meal.

Hope you will try this – a steaming bowl of soup is comforting, warming both the body and spirit.