Chicken Tortilla Soup

I asked my husband, Mike, one day if he had any dinner suggestions for the coming week. He quickly responded that he wanted Chicken Tortilla Soup. I thought it sounded good, but I didn't have a go-to recipe for that.

I did a little research and found some basic recipes; however, none of them seemed complete. The wonderful thing I have learned about cooking, since getting married, is that I don’t have to follow a recipe to a T.

I can change it any way that sounds good to me. If I don’t like an ingredient, I omit it. If it’s missing an ingredient that sounds good to me, I add it! If it calls for an ingredient that I would never use except in that recipe, I try to substitute a similar ingredient I have on hand.

I’d like to encourage everyone to try adopting this mentality when cooking. It’s very liberating, and I’m sure you will come up with some great dishes.

Make sure you write down any modifications to the recipes, so you can make them again.

Ingredients

2 tbsp canola oil

1 small onion, diced

1 green pepper, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapeño peppers, finely diced (remove seeds first)
8 cups chicken broth
1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes, blend until smooth in a blender
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained
1-2 limes, juiced
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
Sprinkle of cayenne pepper (optional)
1 bag tortilla chips

Instructions

1. In a large pot, heat the canola oil on medium heat.
2. Add the onion, and cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add the green pepper, garlic, and jalapeño, and cook another 3 minutes.
4. Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, beans, and corn. Bring to a boil; then simmer.
5. Add the lime juice and chicken (cooked and shredded).
6. Add a sprinkle of cayenne pepper if you want a little extra kick.
7. Continue simmering at least 5 minutes.
8. Serve over crushed tortilla chips.

Notes

• This recipe makes 10 (2-cup) servings.
• Adjust cayenne pepper and jalapeño peppers to achieve your desired level of spiciness.
• Adding more lime juice will make it a bit sweeter.
• Rather than using chicken broth from a can or box, I use powdered chicken broth base. It is a fraction of the cost.
• The soup can also be served with cilantro and cheese.
• The original recipe that I adapted can be found here.

Cost for the batch: $9.88

Cost for a serving: $0.99

Calories for the batch: 3,864
Calories for a serving: 386