Cricket's Tortilla Soup

In the September/October issue of Today's Diet & Nutrition, Cricket Azima explained that her friends and family can't live without her tortilla soup. Azima, author of the new book, Everybody Eats Lunch, shares the recipe. For more about Azima, visit www.thecreativekitchen.com

Tortilla Soup

1 onion
2 celery stalks
1 small zucchini
1 small yellow squash
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 plum tomatoes
6 cups chicken stock
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 14-ounce can corn
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans
1 teaspoon cumin (or to taste)
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
salt and pepper (to taste)
1 avocado
2 cups tortilla chips (or to taste)
shredded cheese (cheddar or Monterey jack) (to taste)

1. Dice the onions, celery, zucchini, squash, and the fresh tomatoes and set aside.
2. Put vegetable oil into a large pot and heat over a medium temperature.
3. Once the oil is heated, add the onions, celery, zucchini, and squash and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the fresh tomatoes, chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, corn, garbanzo beans, and cumin to the pot. Cook over a high heat for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender (covering the pot with a lid will speed up this step).
5. While the soup is cooking, dice the avocado into small pieces and set aside.
6. Remove the cilantro leaves from the stems and add the leaves to the soup.
7. Break the tortilla chips into small pieces and put into the soup bowls.
8. Adjust the salt and pepper within the soup. Ladle the soup into bowls over the chips. Add the avocado and shredded cheese to the top. Enjoy!