As much as I love soup, in my opinion, a good soup is hard to make. You need the right ratio of ingredients, the right seasonings, and the right accompaniments. I have tried tortilla soup in Mexico and in Mexican restaurants. This soup is close to the authentic version that I have enjoyed.

In fact, I think the recipe I came up with is so good that I sent it to my college-age grandson. He shares an apartment with three friends and is the only one who loves to cook. This recipe is quick and if you don’t have time to chop onions, you can use frozen or even dehydrated ones.

Since I try to eat healthy, I used 93% fat burgers, reduced sodium vegetable juice, and reduced sodium taco seasoning. For the topping I used reduced fat sour cream. For a more authentic Mexican dish, buy yellow corn tortillas, cut into thin strips, coat with cooking spray, and bake at 400 degrees until crisp. Use these strips in place of crumbled taco chips.

I try to cook ahead on the weekends. If you want to cook ahead of time, make the soup and freeze it without the garnishes. Serve this tasty soup with a green salad and the dessert of your choice. Here is my original recipe for Grandma’s Easy Tortilla Soup with Ingredients.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound lean hamburger

1 medium onion, chopped

1 small red bell pepper, chopped

1 small green bell pepper, chopped

15.25 ounce can of corn with liquid

16 ounce carton of chicken broth (I used no salt).

Two 1.25-ounce packets of taco seasoning. (Use one and half of the other.)

1/2 cup sauce of your choice (I used medium hot)

Salt, if you think the soup needs it

crumbled taco chips

Shredded Cheddar Cheese (I used low fat).

1 ripe avocado, chopped

Sour cream

Coat the bottom of a soup pot with olive oil. Crumble burger and sauté until browned. Add chopped vegetables, corn, chicken broth, vegetable juice, taco seasoning, and salsa. Cover and cook over low heat for half an hour. Garnish each serving with shredded Cheddar cheese, crumbled taco chips, ripe avocado, and dollops of sour cream. You can also garnish the soup with lime wedges. Makes 8 generous servings.

Copyright 2012 by Harriet Hodgson