Chili's Southwestern Vegetable Soup

I have to admit something: I love one of the cookbooks that I received for Christmas. Being able to make food that can be found in restaurants is a wonderful alternative to going out to eat all the time. It makes me feel great to be able to give my family a delicious meal that I know exactly what went into it and it didn't cost an arm and a leg. This book has not failed me yet. Ok, so I've only made two recipes from it so far, only time will tell I guess. 

Southwestern Vegetable soup is something that stuck out to me from the first time that I read the recipe. I love veggies, as does my son. He will eat every single veggie on his plate, followed by fruit, then bread, and finish up with the meat that is on his plate. I was worried about the amount of chili powder in this recipe, as we don't eat "spicy" things. Spicy things + members of my family does not equal a winning situation. The flavor that the chili powder gave was perfect. The vegetables were a great combination. I adapted the recipe a bit by sauteing the onion and green pepper in a skillet before adding them to soup. I have adapted the recipe to show the slight change that I made. 

Chili’s Southwestern Vegetable Soup

6 cups chicken broth

1 can diced tomatoes

1 cup water

1 cup canned dark red kidney beans

1 cup corn kernels

1 cup green beans

1 diced green pepper

½ cup diced onion

½ cup tomato sauce

1 ½ teaspoons chili powder

Pinch of garlic powder

Directions

1.) Mix the soup ingredients in a pot over high heat.

2.) Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat, and let simmer for 45 minutes.

3.) Serve into soup bowls and garnish with cheese as desired. 

Source: America's Most Wanted Recipes