Low Carb Chicken Tortilla Soup

Note from Cheri: This recipe was given to us by our friend April S. Fields, author of the fabulous book 101 Low-Carb & Sugar-free Dessert Recipes. This recipe is part of a collection April shared about maintenance and gradually adding carbs back into your diet after losing the weight. Click here for that story. Click here for lots more low carb recipes!

1/2 cup butter 1 bunch green onions, chopped 3-4 stalks of celery, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 bell pepper, diced 1 1/2 cups chicken stock (or use canned) 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 can Rotelle tomatoes and chili peppers 2 teaspoons cumin 1 bottle low carb beer 1 block cream cheese, cut up 3 cups cooked diced chicken (leftover grilled chicken is great) 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons masa (fine corn meal, look in the Latin foods or flour sections of your market)

Makes 6 Servings In a heavy soup pot, sauté the onions, celery and garlic in the butter. Add the bell pepper, chicken broth, cream, Rotelle, cumin and beer and allow to come to a boil. Turn down the heat and allow to simmer for ten minutes. Add the cream cheese, chicken, Parmesan and masa and continue simmering until thick, about 20 minutes. Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream or sprinkling of grated cheese. Total carbs: 33.16 Per serving:5.52