Chicken Enchilada Soup

We have been eating so much soup lately!  I love turning on Christmas music and chopping up everything to have a big pot of simmering dinner on the stove.  The temperatures have really dropped here in the last couple of weeks, so a bowl of hot soup and some fresh bread has been the perfect dinner for us.  This soup is spicy!  Leave out the jalapenos if you can't handle the heat!

Chicken Enchilada Soup
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 green pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 jalapeno peppers, diced
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
3 cups chicken stock
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz) can corn, drained
16 oz pepper jack cheese, grated

Heat olive oil in large pot.  Add green pepper, onion, and garlic, and saute for several minutes.  Add jalapenos and saute 2 more minutes.  Add chicken, chicken stock, spices, and tomatoes.  Simmer about 30 minutes covered, until tomatoes have begun to break down.  Add black beans and corn and stir to incorporate.  Add the pepper jack cheese and stir to melt; cook 20 more minutes.  Serve topped with crushed tortilla chips and cilantro, if desired.

source:  recipe adapted from Homemade by Holman