Recipe: Chicken Tortilla Soup

Let’s just agree that between now and spring, you will see me post a lot of soup recipes, K? Soup is something I make every week through the entire Fall and Winter. It’s easy. It’s great for left-overs. And it’s a sneaky way to get veggies into unsuspecting children.

This recipe comes from a dear friend in Jacksonville, Florida. One day she invited me and my new baby girl to her home for lunch. While our squirmy bundles sat in car seats and cooed, I devoured this soup. Then immediately asked for the recipe. I still make it from that original card in her hand-writing–though I’ve adapted it a bit to make it my own. {I miss you, Jill, if you are reading this!}

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Total prep time: 5-10 min
Total cook time: 1 hr, 15 min
Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 Quart organic chicken broth (better if you make your own!)
2-3 organic chicken breasts, cubed
1-2 Tbs olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
Salt and pepper
2 cans fiesta corn (do not drain, just dump)
3 cans diced tomatoes (do not drain)
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
about 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 limes
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Bag of tortilla chips

Directions:

1. In a large dutch oven, heat the olive oil and saute the onions for a few minutes, until opaque. (I love this smell…I start all my soups this way, and it just makes me so happy.)

2. Add the chicken broth to the pot, along with the chicken breast, seasoned with salt and pepper. Bring it to a boil and simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through.

3. Skim any chicken goo off the top.

4. Add corn, tomatoes, beans and cilantro to the pot and bring back to a boil.

5. Turn heat to low, cover, and simmer for an hour (really, this soup is fully cooked after about 20 min, but I like to give all the flavors a chance to merge–what I’m saying is, you don’t really have to cook for a full hour.)

6. Crush a few tortilla chips in the bottom of your bowl. Ladle soup over chips. Top with cheese, then drizzle with lime.