Sopa Ranchera

By way of Nancy Pulling

Soup:
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 garlic clove, minced
6 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
1 3/4 cups cubed peeled baking potato
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (about 8 ounces)
1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
3/4 teaspoon salt1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup diced tomato
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Toppings:
2/3 cup finely chopped onion
2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2/3 cup low-fat sour cream
2/3 cup (2 1/2 ounces) shredded queso quesadilla cheese or reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese
10 lime wedges

To prepare soup, heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add oregano, cumin, and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add Chicken Stock, potato, and chickpeas; bring to a boil, and cook 5 minutes. Add chicken, corn, salt, and zucchini; cook 5 minutes. Stir in tomato and cilantro; cook 2 minutes.

Ladle 1 cup soup into each of 10 bowls, and top with 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion, 1 tablespoon cilantro, 1 tablespoon sour cream, and 1 tablespoon cheese. Serve with lime wedges. Yield: 10 servings