Soup's On!

I LOVE autumn! I love the cooler temperatures and the gray days and wearing jeans & hoodies! I also love cold weather cooking, and one of my favorite dishes is soup! As the weather gets colder, I will make a big pot of soup at least once a week. Soup is easy and usually healthy and full of comfort-giving properties. I typically use the crock-pot so that the flavors have all day to meld, and the house smells delicious with the smell of herbs and vegetables.
Yesterday, I made a chicken tortilla soup. This is actually a soup that I will serve in the summer, but I serve it just-warm (rather than hot). What I really like about this soup is pairing it with fresh ingredients: tomatoes, toasted tortilla chips, cilantro, cheese, Greek yogurt (instead of sour cream), hot sauce(s) and jalapenos. The blending of the textures and flavors really puts this soup over-the-top for deliciousness! It also allows for me to create a dish that everyone can tailor to their own tastes. The kids don't do spicy, but Darren & I do, and I hate having to prepare an alternate dish for them. I think that Kyrie likes the idea of adding the ingredients she likes to create her own soup, too.

So, here is my delicious bowl of chicken tortilla soup! The colors are beautiful... really too pretty not to take a picture of (or at least that's what I thought)! My mouth is watering just thinking about it!