Zesty Chicken Soup

Over the weekend, Matt and I made one of our favorite soup recipes. I thought I would share because 1) it has been a long time since I posted a recipe and 2) it is so delicious and easy to make, lowfat, too. All credit goes to my mom for this recipe. I am not 100% positive where she found it, but does that really matter?

This recipe makes a fairly large batch so, it is great for a large group or to make and freeze for future dinners.

Zesty Chicken Soup
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
4 cups water
1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. canola oil
3 cans (14 ½ oz. each) Mexican diced tomatoes(I used 2 zesty & green chilies; 1 chili style diced tomatoes)
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
1 cup medium salsa
3 medium zucchini, quartered and sliced
2 medium carrots, quartered and sliced
1 cup frozen white corn
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies
3 tsp. ground cumin
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. dried basil
Shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips, optional

Place chicken in a Dutch oven or soup kettle; add water. Bring to a boil;reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10-15 min. or until chicken juices run clear. Remove chicken; cut into ½ inch cubes. Return to cooking liquid.
In a large skillet, saute onion, celery and garlic in oil until tender; add to the Dutch oven. Stir in the next 11 ingredients. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Garnish with the cheese and tortilla chips, if desired.

Soup may be frozen up to 3 months.

10 servings - 1 ½ cups (without cheese and tortilla chips) equals 152 calories, 3 g fat,31 mg cholesterol, 523 mg sodium, 18 g carbohydrate, 6 g fiber, 16 gprotein.