Better Balanced Life

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!

Spicy chicken soup, after some adjustments

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:

1. In a large pot, saute onions and garlic in oil until translucent. Add taco seasoning and cilantro; saute for one more minute.
2. Place chicken breasts on top of onions, pour in broth.
3. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.
4. While that’s simmering, combine the diced tomatoes, pepper, and carrots in a blender until chunky. Set aside.
5. Remove chicken from broth and shred with two forks; return to pot.
6. Add diced tomato mixture, corn, and beans.
7. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
8. Let soup simmer for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
9. Brush whole wheat tortillas with olive oil and bake for five minutes; remove and break into pieces.
10. 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!