Mexican Tortilla Soup

Last week I had this soup in California Pizza Kitchen. It was very good. I looked for the recipe and made it tonight for dinner, with Mexican rice and corn bread. The soup turned out  to be very tasty and filling.

Ingredients:
1 T olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced thinly
3 garlic cloves, minced
11/2 large tomatoes, chopped
1(15-ounce) can black or pinto beans, drained
1/2 C corn
2 t chili powder or to taste
2 t ground cumin
2 C water or vegetable stock
1/2 medium-size avocado, cubed
1/4 C fresh cilantro, minced
2 handfuls of tortilla chips

Method:
1. In a medium-size pot, heat the oil, and saute onion, chili, and garlic over medium heat until the onions are translucent.
2. Add the tomatoes, beans, corn, chili powder, cumin, salt and water. Cover and allow it to simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the avocado and cilantro.
3. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a handful of tortillas and sprinkle the avocado and cilantro.

Variations:
Substitute 1 can of diced tomatoes for  fresh tomatoes.
 Different varieties of chili peppers such as Chipotle, Serrano or Anaheim can be used.