Juan, donde esta la biblioteca ?

I am a t-o-t-a-l soup fan.  Year round, I'll pound back soup like there's no tomorrow.  Unfortunately I've lost a lot of soups to my new GF diet [cream of broccoli, beef barley, French onion].  If I get really creative, I'm able to use my own ingredients to make substitutes, 

but I can no longer revel in the "soup du jour" when out and about.  

With all that said, I've discovered a new favorite!  I'm not generally a fan of Mexican cuisine. [When I say "not a fan" I actually mean "I hate it"]  ..Works just fine for me that I can no longer have burritos or flour tortillas.  I'm not a huge fan of beans or cumin, truthfully..  But this recipe that I'm about to share is an American-ized version of a Mexican dish.  I guess it's a spin-off of Chili's "South of the Border" soup.  I tried it for the first time just 2 days ago at work, and I lost no time in whipping up a batch last night.  

The awesome part of this soup is it's naturally gluten-free: the tomato base is thickened with dissolved soft corn tortilla rounds, and there are no noodles involved.  The basic ingredients are chicken, green beans, kidney or black beans, tomato, and soft tortillas.  Props to my new employer for having this bubbling on her stove when I arrived. 
Hearing it was naturally gluten-free, I was all over it.  

Don't be turned off though, if beans and tomato aren't generally your thing.. They aren't mine, either.  I actually don't even like tomato soup.  But there's some sort of balance in the flavors that makes this soup a home run.  Take my word for it. 
The recipe is as follows:

South of the Border soup

Ingredients:

6 cups chicken broth

1 lb. diced chicken breast

1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice

1/2 cup water

2 cups dark red kidney beans or 2 cups black beans, with liquid

1/2 cup frozen cut green beans

1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies

1/2 cup diced Spanish onion

1/2 cup tomato sauce

8 soft corn tortillas

1.5 tsps. chili powder [or more, depending on how spicy you like it!]

1 tsp. garlic powder

Garnish

1 cup grated cheddar cheese or 1 cup monterey jack cheese, blend [optional]

1 cup crumbled corn tortilla chips [optional]

Directions:

Prep Time: 15 mins.

Total Time: 45 mins.

1.  Combine all the soup ingredients in a large saucepan or soup pot over high heat. Be sure to mince the corn tortillas into small pieces with a sharp knife before adding them to the soup.
2. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the soup has thickened and tortilla pieces have mostly dissolved.
3. To serve soup, ladle 1 1/2 cups into a bowl. Sprinkle a heaping tablespoon of the grated cheese over the top of the soup and then a heaping tablespoon of crumbled tortilla chips over the cheese.
4. Enjoy!

I was anticipating a bland soup when I first saw it, but it's nothing of the sort.  The flavors really come together and pack a punch! Let me know if you make this, and what you think.  =)