Tortilla Soup

My family has a recipe for tortilla soup that someone clipped out of the Houston Chronicle at least a decade ago.  For as long as I can remember we had this soup at holidays.  It would sit on the stove and we would go back for mugs full of the delicious meal. 

It had a rich tomato broth that was just a little spicy, and was full of veggies and chicken.  The best part is when you crunch up tortilla chips in the bottom and put cheese on top that thickens the broth of the hearty soup.

I love making this soup with my mom in the kitchen, dutifully cleaning the veggies for her as she said that her mom made her do it so now its her turn to make me prep the veggies.  Until the day that I was home from college, and she was somewhere with my little brother, and asked me to put it together myself.  

I paid close attention to every detail second guessing myself the whole time, carefully checking the seasoning, and making sure the bottom didn't burn.  

I will never forget that night when we all curled up on the couch as it started to snow outside, and I watched my mom take a bite of the soup.  She turned to me and said, "it's even better than mine."  At that moment, my heart was warm, and I had never felt more proud.