Chicken Tortilla Soup

* I like to buy a small rotisserie chicken and shred the meat from that to add to soups. It’s flavorful, fast, and tender.
* I usually use 1 or 2 chipotle pepper from a can at a time. I’ve taken to putting the whole can of peppers in my mini prep food processor and then freezing tablespoons of the leftovers.
* Sometimes I cube Mexican Velveeta and stir the cubes into the soup. Other times I forgo the Velveeta and opt to add shredded Monterey jack cheese as a topping to each bowl. It depends on my mood.

Ingredients:
1 small rotisserie chicken, shredded
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 medium zucchini, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon cumin
2-4 tablespoons chipotle peppers in adobo, minced
2 (15 oz) cans stewed tomatoes
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
4 cups chicken broth
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 roasted red pepper, diced
1 cup frozen corn
½ pound Mexican Velveeta, cubed (optional)

Optional toppings:
Sour cream
Avocado
Onions
Tortilla chips
Monterey jack cheese

Directions:
1. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and zucchini and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper, garlic, cumin, and chipotle peppers and sauté for 1 minute.

2. Add stewed tomatoes, stirring quickly to deglaze Dutch oven with juice from tomatoes. Begin breaking up stewed tomatoes with spoon. Add tomato sauce, broth, black beans, roasted red pepper, and chicken. Stir to combine, bring to a boil, and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally and continue to break up tomatoes.

3. Add frozen corn and stir. Add Velveeta and stir until melted.