All the flavors you love in Mexican food in a hearty, filling soup made with seasoned shredded chicken, bold spices, corn, beans and rice. Top it with sliced avocado, shredded cheese, cilantro and tortilla strips!
As many of you probably know my son is a Mexican food F-A-N-A-T-I-C … I could probably dig up something from the backyard and throw it in this soup and he’d never know.
So to say I’ve made this soup about 98 times now probably isn’t an understatement. What I like about these types of soups are there versatility. There really is no ‘wrong’ way of making this and you can spice it up or down depending on your crowd.
I referenced the most middle of the road ingredients in the recipe. But to be honest, I usually use Fire Roasted tomatoes instead of regular. I add a jalapeno in there somewhere and I use a spicy cheese, maybe pepper jack or a cheese that has horseradish in it.
That’s just how my son and I like it. You of course can adjust it to how you like it. But that’s why soups are such a staple in our house. I can adjust it depending on who is eating it.
The second thing I decided to do was to beef this soup up a little bit because we are in the winter months now and there are nights when soup and salad are our dinner. So I added about 1/2 cup of uncooked rice and let it cook in one pot.
The rice will continue to soak up some of the liquid after it’s cooked so tomorrows leftover soup will be a little thicker than todays freshly made soup. You can always make rice separately and add it right before serving if you choose.
If you are expecting more of a watery type soup that’s not what you will get. This soup is thick, it is full of chicken, it is full of flavor.
WHAT CAN YOU PUT ON TOP OF YOUR CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP?:
- Shredded cheese is always a great place to start- no such thing as too much cheese, right?
- Tortilla strips can go on next. I usually buy mine at the store, but making them at home is a snap!
- Who can forget the avocados?
- Sour cream anyone? Just a dollop …
- Pico de gallo or salsa adds a ton of flavor. You can go mild or HOT.
Whatever you decide to top this delicious chicken tortilla soup with I hope you enjoy the depth and versatility this soup has to offer.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Small Onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeno, deseeded and chopped
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 Tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 32 oz reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
- 16 oz water
- 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with green chiles
- 3-4 cups cooked, shredded chicken
- 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup Corn
- 1/2 Cup Rice, uncooked
- 8 oz Shredded Cheese
Instructions
- Place a large saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Add the olive oil and onion. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and saute for approx. 2 min. Add the garlic and jalapeno. Saute for 2-3 minutes, or until onion is just becoming golden.
- Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper.
- Pour in the chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, water, diced tomatoes, black beans, and corn. Raise heat to a boil.
- Once boiling, stir in rice. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for for 15 minutes for white rice or 30 for brown, or until the rice is tender, stirring occasionally.
- Add the chicken and stir. Add the cheese.
Optional: Serve with tortilla strips, shredded cheese, sour cream ,cilantro, guacamole and/or lime wedges.
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