Heat olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, bell pepper, and minced jalapeno. Cook until softened, then add garlic and cook for a minute until fragrant. Add tomato paste and spices. Cook, stirring, for a minute or two until tomato paste loses its bright red color.

Pour in the 4 cups of chicken stock (reserve the 2 cups additional soup or water until the soup is nearly finished and add it to adjust the thickness to your liking.) Add the Rotel, beans, and corn. Add the three thinly sliced tortillas and chicken. Gently stir, bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Simmer for about 25 to 30 minutes, adjusting heat if necessary.

When finished add the juice from the lime. Check seasonings for flavor and add more of any spices as desired. Add in additional broth or a little water if desired.

While the soup is cooking, heat a little oil in a small pan and fry the tortilla strips until crispy, working in batches. Stir them around a bit as they fry so they’ll be a lovely tangle for the garnish. Place on a paper towel to drain, sprinkle with salt while still warm and set aside for the garnish.

Ladle into soup into bowls, then top with fried tortillas and garnishes of your choice. Serve with lime wedges.

Note: any chicken or turkey will do for this soup, leftover is fine. If you don’t have cooked chicken, drizzle the breasts with a little olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake in a 375-degree oven until done, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Slow Cooker:

Add all ingredients, except for the lime and the garnishes, to the crockpot in the order listed. There’s no need to precook chicken, just add to the bottom if raw, but if using already cooked chicken, add it to the top. There’s no need to saute any of the vegetables, either. Cover and cook on high for two to three hours or low for four to six.

When ready to eat, stir the ingredients together, and if you’ve cooked your chicken in the crockpot, remove, shred, and add back in. Add the additional stock or water if desired, and the lime juice, taste and adjust seasoning and garnish as desired.