Chicken Tortilla Soup

It has been cold and rainy here in the East when we are normally enjoying warmth and sunshine so I decided to take advantage of the weather and make some soup! There’s just something about a bowl of hot soup on a yucky, rainy day, right?

This is a great recipe that you can adjust to your tastes and it comes together so easily that you can make it during your busy week, too. AND there are so few calories, you can have TWO bowls and not feel guilty.

Ingredients:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced (I used rotisserie chicken breast, to save time)

1 tsp cumin

½ tsp chili powder

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp sea salt

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

½ cup onion, diced

¼ cup green bell pepper, diced

½ cup red bell pepper, diced

1 T roasted Poblano pepper, seeded and diced (you can also use fresh or canned Jalapeno if you prefer. The flavor of the Poblano is so yummy, though, so get one and try it soon!)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (10 oz) Rotel tomatoes with green chilies

6 cups low sodium, fat free chicken broth

1 ½ T tomato paste

½ can (15 oz) seasoned black beans, drained

1 can (11 oz) corn, drained

1 T cornmeal (I borrowed this trick from Pioneer Woman)

Optional Toppings:

Tortilla strips, shredded cheese, avocado, sour cream…I could go on…

Preparation:

If you do not have a gas stovetop, crank your oven up to broil and place the Poblano or fresh Jalapeno pepper onto a baking sheet and char the outside. If you do have a gas stovetop, just place the pepper right on top of the burner and char the outside. Cool a bit and remove the charred parts and then de-seed and dice it. Freeze any you don’t use. If you choose to use canned jalapeno, just add to the soup at the same time as the corn/beans.

This is what it looks like charred; pretty right?:

In a small dish, mix the cumin, chili powder, garlic powder and sea salt. Set aside for sprinkling.

In a med/large Dutch oven or saucepan, sauté the veggies in the olive oil. Sprinkle with a little of the seasoning you made and continue to sauté until the onions are translucent.

Add the rest of the seasoning and ingredients (except cornmeal) and stir well.

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer. Simmer, uncovered for 30-45 minutes (the longer the better, of course!). After about 25 minutes, mix the cornmeal with a little bit of water to make a loose paste. Stir into the soup and continue to simmer.

Ladle into a bowl and top with your favorite toppings.

Look at this yummy bite! A little bit spicy and a lotta bit DELISH!