Cheesy Tortilla Soup

 Hi WEEC listeners,

Below is the soup recipe mentioned on today's segment.  The cookie recipe is farther on down the blog.  I sure hope you enjoy them both.

Cheesy Tortilla Soup 1/4 cup butter OR margarine 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 3 cups chicken broth 1 cup milk 8 oz. Velveeta process cheese food - cubed 10 oz. can Ro*Tel® tomatoes and chilies 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken 1 tsp. cumin 1 tsp. chili powder 1-3 tsp. chicken soup base, to taste pepper – to taste Dried cilantro, to taste flour tortillas – as needed, about 4 - 6 shredded Colby Jack cheese OR Mexican blend cheese – as needed

-In a pot, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes. -Slowly whisk in small amounts of chicken broth at a time, then whisk in milk. -Reduce heat to low and stir in Velveeta cubes; stir until melted. -Stir in Ro*Tel, chicken, and spices. -Once soup is heated through, it is ready to serve at this point. However, if you wish to make tortilla strips, it can sit over low heat while they are made. Stir the soup occasionally. -For tortilla strips, cut tortillas into strips and deep-fry in 350 degree vegetable or peanut oil until golden, then drain on cooling racks. -Spoon a ladleful of soup into a bowl, add a handful of shredded cheese, then spoon another ladleful of soup over cheese. Sprinkle tortilla strips over top. Repeat for remaining servings. Note-I did not use the butter and I increased the flour a bit.  I whisked it into the chicken broth and heated until boiling, stirring constantly.  When mixture was thickened, I added the Rotel, and cheese (I had actually made cheese sauce with Velvetta and cream cheese & I used that.) (See pretzels and cheese sauce recipe in Baking a Memory. (my cookbook)  Turn down the heat to very low, add the milk, and chili powder and cumin.  Taste and add enough soup base to taste along with the pepper and cilantro.  It was wonderful! Confectionately Yours,  Sue