Directions: Whisk soup into 4 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium, stirring occasionally. Add 1 cup of cooked, shredded chicken (2 boneless breasts), shredded pork or small shrimp. Continue simmering until soup is desired consistency and meat is heated through. If soup is too thick add a little water, if too thin cook a little longer. Add hot pepper sauce as desired. Slice 8 small flour tortillas into 1/4 inch strips. Fry or bake until crisp (if frying strips, to absorb less oil, slice tortillas and leave out overnight before frying, if desired.) Divide half the prepared strips into soup bowls and ladle on soup. Top with remaining tortilla strips.

Short Cut: Follow traditional directions omitting meats. Coarsely crumble commercially packaged corn tortilla chips into bowls, ladle on soup and top with additional crumbled chips.

If desired, garnish either recipe with sour cream (a very nice, cooling addition), snipped fresh cilantro, or grated cheddar or jack cheeses. Serve with additional chips and salsa, if desired...Buen apetito!

Ingredients: REAL CHEESE (MONTEREY JACK, WHITE CHEDDAR, BLUE AND GRANULAR CHEESES: PASTEURIZED MILK AND CREAM, NONFAT DRY MILK, WHEY, BUTTERMILK, CHEESE CULTURES, ENZYMES, SODIUM/DIPOTASSIUM/TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, CITRIC ACID, CAROB BEAN GUM, LACTIC ACID, SALT), VEGETABLE BASE (CANOLA OIL, HYDROLYZED VEGETABLE PROTEIN, ONION, SUGAR, SALT, YEAST EXTRACT, WHEAT FLOUR, SPICES), POTATO, GREEN ONION, GREEN BEANS, BELL PEPPER, JALAPENO PEPPER, SOY BEANS, GARLIC, TOMATO, CARROT, PARSLEY, LIME, CORNSTARCH, MALTODEXTRIN, SODIUM/POTASSIUM CASEINATE, MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, DISODIUM INOSINATE/GUANYLATE, LECITHIN, SODIUM STEROYL, LACTYLATE, CALCIUM ALGINATE, TURMERIC, ANNOTTO EXTRACTS, MIXED TOCOPHEROLS, SPICES AND SPICE EXTRACTIVES.