Chicken Tortilla Soup

A few months before I started blogging I discovered The Pioneer Woman’s website. I just loved it, real life, real food and funny.

I started making some of her recipes and they were so darned good.

As soon as I saw this soup I knew I needed to make it right away. While I was eating it I decided it was time to finally bite the bullet and start my very own little blog.

It is just that good!

What you need,

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2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 tbsp. olive oil

1½ tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. chili powder

½ tsp. garlic powder

½ tsp. salt

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 cup diced onion, I used purple but any color will do

¼ cup each diced red and green bell pepper

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 can (10oz.) Rotel (if you can’t find it, a can of diced tomatoes mixed with a can of chopped green chilies will work just fine)

4 cups low sodium chicken stock

4 cups hot water

3 tbsp. tomato paste

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

3 tbsp. cornmeal

5 whole corn tortillas cut into 2-3 inch strips

Sour cream, diced avocado, diced red onion, Pico de Gallo, grated Monterey Jack cheese and fresh cilantro or parsley for garnishing.

Heat your oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl combine the cumin, chili powder, garlic powder and salt. Drizzle the chicken breasts with 1 tablespoons of the olive oil then sprinkle about ½ teaspoon of the spice mixture over each breast. Reserve the remaining spice mixture.

Bake the chicken on a sheet pan for 20-25 minutes until it is cooked through. Let it cool slightly then shred or chop the chicken into bite sized pieces, set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the onions, red and green pepper and the garlic to the pot, cook stirring often until they veggies begin to soften, 2-3 minutes. Stir in the remaining spice mixture.  Add the chicken and stir to coat.

Pour in the Rotel, chicken stock, water, tomato paste and black beans. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer the soup uncovered for 45 minutes.

Mix the cornmeal with a little bit of water. Pour the mixture into the soup and stir to combine. Let the soup simmer for another 30 minutes. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning at this point, add more salt if needed.

Turn of the heat and let the soup stand for 15 minutes. 5 minutes before serving stir in the tortilla strips.

Ladle the soup into bowls and then top with your choice of garnishes. It is really all about the garnishes, they really make the soup fabulous!

You are going to love this soup! It is hearty and warm and so full of flavor. It is great left over too!

I am so glad I made this soup and it spurred me to start this blog. I love eating so many new things and sharing them all with you!

Enjoy!

Jen

Recipe slightly adapted from The Pioneer Woman