Chicken Tortilla Soup

6 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

(My favorite way to cook chicken is in the crockpot. Just toss it in (even if it's frozen), pop on the lid and crank it to high. No water necessary. It cooks perfectly every time and is never dry. If you're going to be gone most of the day, set the crockpot to low. Baking the chicken is also a great way to cook it. I am not a fan of boiling and I never microwave chicken.)

Place chicken in the crockpot with the following ingredients:

1 large bottle V8 hot and spicy juice
Fill the empty juice bottle with water and add to the crockpot
3 chopped green onions
2 cubes chicken bullion
1 jar thick and chunky salsa
1/2 T. seasoned pepper
1/2 T. chili powder
1 1/2 T. seasoned salt

Simmer for a few hours until hot. (You can also do this on the stove.)

This is how we serve it:

We put tortilla chips in a soup bowl (I like Padrinos low fat chips) then put grated cheddar cheese on top of the chips. Add the hot soup on top of the cheese and chips and enjoy! Sprinkle with fresh cilantro, if desired. (I do not like cilantro! It is one of my least favorite foods on the planet, so I never use it, but that's just me.)

From whence it came: My wonderful friend, JoDee Glazier, gave me this wonderful recipe. JoDee and I have made so many great memories over the years. Even though I don't see her nearly often enough these days, she is a forever friend, with some very yummy recipes. Her aunt owns a company called Wild Coyote that makes my favorite salad dressing in the whole wide world. As far as I know, it's only sold in Utah, so when we travel to the Beehive State I always bring some home. Wild Coyote also makes really yummy salsa. Thanks for the great recipe, JoDee!

Why it's blogable: It's a rare occasion when I feel that you can truly say something is DELICIOUS and NUTRITIOUS! Let's just be honest here, way too often the food that is good for your body isn't necessarily taste bud friendly. This recipe is an exception to the rule. The original recipe called for a cup of butter to be added, if you can even believe that, but I never tried it with the butter. Don't get me wrong, butter is my friend. I use butter often in many recipes. Paula Deen and I both have a close personal relationship with butter. But butter does not belong in this recipe. It just doesn't. Another reason this recipe is blog worthy is every single member of my family gets a big smile on their face when they find out it's Chicken Tortilla Soup night. It is a huge family favorite, and everyone I've ever made it for has loved it. Two more blogable reasons, it's so very easy to make and it freezes perfectly. I have a batch frozen in my freezer right at this very moment. Perfect for those hectic days where making dinner is the last thing on my frazzled mind.

One last thing: This soup is not spicy. To make it more spicy, use hot salsa and/or add more chili powder. I use mild salsa and make it just the way it says and it really isn't spicy at all. I normally serve it with a green salad, corn bread and honey butter. See, we did end up using butter after all!

Hope you enjoy stirring it up!