Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup is my go-to soup. It’s healthy, light, and versatile. I can cook it on the stovetop or in a slow cooker, add black, pinto, or no beans, bell peppers, zucchini, whatever! Don’t even get me started on the garnishes.

Since it’s the second week of January and most of our “healthy eating” resolutions have already gone out the window, I made an “un-lightened up” version of Chicken Tortilla Soup… I mean, wait, you didn’t booze every night the past two weeks and eat Papa John’s at 3AM with your friends? Just me? Anyway…

Ironically enough, I started making Chicken Tortilla Soup to jumpstart my New Year’s resolution of consuming more “whole” meals. But then I added cream. And cheese. And topped it with fried tortilla strips… Hence making it an “un-lightened up” soup recipe.

But do not worry, I didn’t squash all nutritional gains from this soup. The addition of dairy is pretty minimal, but just enough to make you feel like you’re eating a hearty soup for a meal and not just slurping on chicken broth.

Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe adapted from Simply So Good:

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 corn tortilla (6-inch size), cut into 1-inch pieces

1 (10.5) ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilies

3 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon cayenne

8 ounces cooked chicken, shredded

1 cup frozen corn kernels

1 cup black beans

¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

¼ cup heavy cream

1 ounce Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Juice of one lime

Salt and pepper

Additional Monterey Jack cheese

Sour Cream

Avocado Slices

Tortilla strips

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high; add onions and garlic, and saute 3 minutes.  Stir in tortilla pieces and saute until they begin to soften.  Add tomatoes, broth, and spices, and bring to a boil.  Removed from heat; let cool 5 minutes, then puree soup base in batches in a blender or food processor until smooth.  Return soup to pot.
2. Add chicken, corn, black beans, cilantro, and cream.  Bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes, or until beginning to thicken.  Reduce heat to medium, sprinkle in cheese, and stir until melted.  Add lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with cheese, sour cream, avocado slices, and crispy tortilla strips.

Makes 8 servings.