Chicken Tortilla Soup

I couldn’t resist making a big pot of soup last night. The sky was cloudy and it had drizzled all day. It was absolutely perfect weather for hot bowl of spicy and hearty chicken tortilla soup. My husband requested it, and I really couldn’t say no, because he had made some wonderful jalapeno sausage to contribute to the meal.

This recipe has some key elements for a weeknight meal in our house. It makes a ton, it fits our budget, and I can get it all together in about 15min and it only takes another 30min to be complete. Oh, and it is so delicious!!! This recipe filled a 7 quart pot, and is more than enough for dinner and probably a few lunches. The chicken breast tenders were a good buy, because they are a biproduct of the breast fillets that are so popular, but are actually more tasty and more tender because they have just a little more fat. The canned goods and box stock make this soup really quick, because I can pop tops and drop.

Ingredients

1/2 lb Chicken Breast Tenders

4 Stocks Celery

3 Medium Carrots

1/2 Yellow Onion

1 15oz Can Black Beans

1 15oz Can Kidney Beans

1 15oz Can Corn

1 15oz Can Diced Tomatoes

2 quarts Chicken Stock

2 Limes

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Granulated Garlic

1 Tbsp Granulated Onion

1 Tbsp Dry Parsley

1 Tsp Smoked Paprika

1/2 Tsp Cumin

1/4 Tsp Coriander

1/4 Tsp Chili Powder

1 Tsp Salt

1/4 Tsp Black Pepper

Cilantro for Topping

Tortilla strips: Corn or Flour Tortillas and Olive oil (Cut tortillas into strips, coat lightly with olive oil, and bake for 3-5 minutes on 350 Degrees)

Instructions

Prepare all your vegetables. Wash and peel carrots. Wash celery. Peel onion. Chop everything into approx 1/4″ diced pieces and set aside.
Cut Chicken into 1/2″ pieces.
Heat your soup pot and add olive oil to pan. Add Chicken, and season with all dry spices. Cook the chicken until it is browned.
Add The vegetables and stir them until they are coated with oil from the pan.
Once the onions soften add chicken stock. Using a wood spoon or silicon spatula, scrape the bottom of the pan to work up any stuck on spices and chicken. This is called de-glazing.
Add all of your canned beans and tomatoes with the juices from the can.
Cut limes in half, squeeze them into the pot, and then put the remainder of the lime in the pot to simmer with the soup.
Let simmer, stirring occasionally, for approx 30min.
Serve in a large bown, topped with tortilla strips and fresh cilantro.

“Only the pure of heart can make a good soup. ” Ludwig Van Beethoven