It’s about time for a new recipe! I envisioned this spicy chicken soup to be a mash-up of two of my favorite recipes: chicken soup and chicken taco stew. But, I was pressed for time when I made it and decided to totally wing the recipe. Bad idea: the final product didn’t look right – something was missing, but I didn’t have the time or energy to figure out what it was. I declared it a failure, decided on take-out, and put the soup in the fridge – maybe I could salvage it the next day when I had some more energy.
I guess I had to sleep on it, because on my way home from the gym the next morning, I had an epiphany – I FORGOT TO PUT THE REST OF THE VEGETABLES IN THE SOUP! I NEVER USED THE CILANTRO I BOUGHT! No wonder it looked boring and dull – it totally was! As soon as I got home, I quickly prepped the beans and corn, added the cilantro, and got the soup simmering again while I got ready for work. All’s well that ends well, and I managed to save it for the most part. Without further ado, here is my mish-mash Spicy Chicken Soup!
Ingredients:
- 2-3 chicken breasts
- 4 oz. low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup water (if needed/desired)
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1-2 cloves garlic, diced
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
- 1 bell pepper (your choice), seeded and diced
- 2-3 medium-sized carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 can diced tomatoes with chili
- 1 can corn, rinsed
- 1 can black beans, rinsed
- 1/2 a packet of low-sodium taco seasoning
- 2% mexican cheese mix
- optional: chives, greek yogurt/low-fat sour cream
Directions:
- In a large pot, saute onions and garlic in oil until translucent. Add taco seasoning and cilantro; saute for one more minute.
- Place chicken breasts on top of onions, pour in broth.
- Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.
- While that’s simmering, combine the diced tomatoes, pepper, and carrots in a blender until chunky. Set aside.
- Remove chicken from broth and shred with two forks; return to pot.
- Add diced tomato mixture, corn, and beans.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Let soup simmer for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Brush whole wheat tortillas with olive oil and bake for five minutes; remove and break into pieces.
- Top soup with tortilla strips/bits, chives, cheese, and Greek yogurt or low-fat sour cream (if desired).
And, try not to forget the essential ingredients!
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