Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is one of my favorite soup recipes.  I can get it to the table in 20 minutes which is awesome on a cold weeknight!  It is also pretty low in calories, around 400 per serving.

3 TBS of olive oil

1 medium diced onion

1 diced green bell pepper

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp of kosher salt

2 tsp of cumin

1 1/2 tsp of chili powder

1 tsp of dried oregano

1 28oz can of diced tomatoes

1 14oz can of fat free refried beans

2 cups of shredded cooked chicken

2 cups of chicken broth

1/4 cup of chopped cilantro

1/2 cup of shredded cheese

Heat oil in a large pot.  Add onions, peppers, garlic, and salt.  Once soft, add spices and combine well.  Add tomatoes and refried beans and combine well.  The beans need to be mixed throughly because they are acting as the thickening agent.  Mix in chicken.  Add chicken broth, bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 minutes.  Top each bowl with clinatro and cheese.  Serve with your favorite slice of crusty bread.  Enjoy!

OK, so I know the beans are a little weird but they add really good body to the broth and make the soup more filling.  It also is much better for me/us than heavy cream!