Salsa Chicken Soup

I came home from work and wanted something easy, fast, and tasty. I was in luck. In the recipe section of the newspaper, I saw this soup recipe. It fit my criteria...easy, fast, and tasty.

Ingredients
2 to 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or about 3 cups cooked, diced chicken, or 1 can (12.5 oz.) chicken breast.
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 16-ounce cans of chicken broth or 4 cups water with 4 chicken bouillon cubes
1 24-ounce jar mild or medium chunky salsa (or hotter if desired)
1 small can diced mild green chilies
1 15-ounce an corn, drained
2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 bag baked tortilla chips
shredded cheddar cheese or light sour cream for garnish, if desired

Directions
Dice chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes. Brown chicken in the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, adding the onions as the chicken begins to brown.

Add garlic, cumin, water, broth, salsa, corn, black beans and half of the cilantro. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, and cook 10-15 minutes, or until chicken is well-cooked.

To serve, put a few chips in each bowl and then ladle soup into bowl. Sprinkle on remaining cilantro, sour cream, cheddar and tortilla strips if desired. Serves 8-10.

Option: If using a slow-cooker, put all ingredients in the pot and cook on high 3-4 hours, or on low 5-7 hours. If you have leftover soup, make a Salsa Chicken Rice Casserole by stirring in cooked rice; top with cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese.