Instructions: Over medium high heat, fry the tortilla squares in olive oil until they begin to crisp and turn a golden yellow. Add garlic, onion, and jalapeno, cook 1 to 2 minutes, until onion is translucent.

Add half the corn, and the rest of the other ingredients (tomatoes thru chicken stock), reserving half the corn to be added at the end. Bring the soup to a low, even boil. Remove soup from heat.

Use a hand held propeller blade processor, or a food processor, or a blender to puree the soup in batches. Return the soup to the burner and add the reserved corn. Bring the soup to a boil once again, being extremely careful to avoid scorching or burning.

Serve, if desired garnish with tortilla chips, cheddar cheese, and cilantro.

This recipe yields 6 servings.

Comments: This is a great Southwestern soup from the California Pizza Kitchen chain. The restaurant serves it solo or alongside a potato-leek soup. The many spices keep this soup low in calories, but high on flavor. If you want to reduce the fat content, you can use less oil for frying the tortillas.

If you would like to email yourself the recipe for later use, or share the recipe with your friends or family, enter the email addresses below and this recipe will be emailed to you and others as well.