Chicken Tortilla Soup

Serves 6-8

1 roasted chicken, pull all meat off the bones
6 cups water
2 stalks celery, quartered
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 can original Rotel tomatoes 
1/3 cup sweet onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional) 
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed & drained  

Serve with: 
Tortilla chips
Sliced avocado
Fresh cilantro
Sour cream
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Hot sauce
Lime wedges

Pick all chicken off the bones. Cover and set aside. Place the chicken carcass (with skin) in stock pot with 6 cups water. Add celery and coarsely chopped onion. Boil gently for 30 minutes to an hour. Strain mixture and return 4 cups broth to the pot. Add chicken and rest of the ingredients. Cover and simmer for another 30-45 minutes. Using two forks, pull apart any large pieces of chicken. Taste and season if needed. Serve the soup with crumbled tortilla chips and other toppings.

I don't add the cayenne pepper because there is plenty of spice in the Rotel tomatoes for my taste. You can also use raw chicken breasts or a whole chicken and cook in 4 cups chicken broth (for an hour) but I really like the flavor of the roasted chickens at Banks Market. The seasonings in the bones and skin when boiled down make a yummy stock/broth.  

This recipe is shared the week of October 28-November 1, 2019 on radio stations 
NewsTALK 94.3 FM, AM 570 WKYX, AM 1320 and 99.5 FM WNGO.
Ro's recipes are sponsored by Banks Market
on Lone Oak Road in Paducah, KY.
Check out more recipes online at: www.banksmarket.com