Soup Night

As I have mentioned before, Monday night is "soup and bread night" at my house.  I always make the soup ahead of time on Sunday, so that all I have to do on Monday is to reheat it and make the loaf of homemade bread that we always have to go with it (plus soup always tastes way better when the flavors are allowed to develop overnight)!  Since I use my breadmaker to make the bread , dinner is a snap on Mondays.

I try to serve a wide variety of soups so that everyone in my family gets to eat their favorite at some point.  This Southwestern Soup is one of my favorites!  The best part about this soup is that you throw everything into a crockpot and let it cook all day.  As a vegetarian, I like the soup just the way it is, or sometimes I throw in some black beans.  Feel free to add cooked, diced chicken if you like too.  We also like to crush unsalted tortilla chips up and sprinkle them on top of this soup.  Enjoy!

Southwestern Soup

1 Tablespoon canola oil
28 oz low sodium vegetable broth (or you could use chicken broth)
16 oz bag frozen corn, thawed
1, 14oz can low sodium diced tomatoes, undrained
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1 can (4oz) chopped green chilies
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt (such as Lowry's)
1/2 teaspoon Fiesta lime Mrs. Dash seasoning
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low for about 7-8 hours.  Stir before serving.  Serve with tortilla chips if desired.

Crediting information (without beans, chicken or chips):
Makes 21 servings creditable for 1/4 cup of the fruit/vegetable requirement at any meal for 3-5 year old children.