Chicken Tortilla Soup

~Great for a cold winter's night! Enjoy!~

12 cups water
5 Tbsp + 1 tsp. chicken base
1 1/3 cups onion, chopped into 1/4" dice
6 cloves minced garlic
3/4 tsp. salt
1 can pinto beans, rinsed
1 can kidney beans, rinsed
1 can Great Northern beans, rinsed
2 cups frozen corn
1 red pepper, 1/2" dice
16 oz. diced tomatoes, canned
1 tsp each oregano cilantro, and chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
4-5 cups cooked chicken, cut into 1/2" chunks

Heat water in large pan. Add chicken base and whisk to dissolve. Add onion, garlic and salt to broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to very low and cook for 20 minutes. Add beans, corn, red pepper and tomatoes to soup. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add seasonings to soup. Add chicken to soup and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Serve with tortilla chips and shredded cheddar cheese.

Optional: Use chicken broth instead of water and chicken base.