Chicken-lime soup for the sneezy soul

The nasty cold that my husband thought he'd finally kicked to the curb came back with a vengeance last week.

After three weeks of misery, he was fit to be tied and I was becoming less patient with his coughing and nose-blowing.

The mountain of medicines he kept popping weren't getting the job done, so that's when I decided to take action.

I'm a firm believer in chicken soup's healing properties. When I'm sick, I want a bowl of matzo ball soup or a spicy bowl of Korean or Japanese noodles.

But I didn't have the patience to make matzo balls, and when I looked in the cupboard my inspiration came from a can of diced tomatoes with green chiles and some corn tortillas in the fridge.

I also had some chicken breasts, so I got to work to make this chicken and lime soup served with crispy tortillas on top. I even added some garlic to up the ante and added some baby spinach that I had on hand.

It was not only delicious but the next day, after a great night's sleep, my husband awoke and said he was feeling better than he had in weeks.

OK, I'm not going to take credit for healing, and I don't want to brand this soup as medicine because it's even more enjoyable when you're not sick. But I will say that a bowl of this soup accomplished what NyQuil couldn't.

In fact, I wish I would've frozen some in case his cold decides to pay me a visit. If it does, I'd be ready for it. You could also fix this for Cinco de Mayo, which is only a few weeks away. A little celebration and medication won't hurt.

Chicken-Lime Soup with Crispy Tortillas

4 corn tortillas

2 teaspoons olive oil

32 ounces chicken broth

2 cups water

2 10-ounce cans Mexican-style diced tomatoes with green chilies and juice

1 bay leaf

2 small garlic cloves, pressed

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch strips

4 green onions, sliced

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 cup baby spinach

Juice of 1 lime

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Brush tortillas with olive oil, stack and cut into 1/2-inch strips. Spread on foil-lined baking sheet and place in 350 degree oven. Bake until golden and crispy.

Meanwhile, combine broth, water, tomatoes, bay leaf, garlic, cumin and red pepper in saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce heat, simmer 5 minutes. Add chicken and cook for additional 5-10 minutes.

Stir in onions, cilantro, spinach and lime juice, heat until spinach wilts, another 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Serve in bowls with tortilla strips as garnish. Serves 4

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