photo by emily carlin
I like this recipe for a few reasons. It’s chock full of healthy ingredients. It’s super easy to make. I love spicy food— articularly when it is chilly out. You can make this as spicy or as mild as you like. It’s also a great soup to experiment around with ingredients that are seasonal. Feel free to omit or add some of your favorite veggies depending on your taste. Also note that this can be prepared as vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free. Just omit what you need to and add extra veggies.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
Dash of olive oil (approx 2 Tbsp)
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 serrano chile pepper (make sure and remove the seeds & ribbing w/a pairing knife), chopped finely
1 jalapeno pepper (same as above, seeds & ribbing = spice & heat), finely chopped
2 tsp cumin
salt & pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 lime - juiced
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 red or green bell pepper, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 yellow squash, chopped
1 28-oz can of diced tomatoes
2-3 cups chicken (or veggie) stock
1 15-oz can of black beans, rinsed & drained
1 c of corn
2 c of cooked chicken & shredded / or 2 chicken breasts cooked & shredded*
Toppings: corn chips, avocado, cilantro, cheese, lime
Preparation
Heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute onion, garlic, chile pepper and jalapeño for 5 minutes. Add seasonings, give a stir, add juice of 1 lime.
Add celery, carrots, bell peppers, zucchini and any additional veggies you may like. Cook for 5-10 minutes.
Add diced tomatoes, stock, black beans and corn. Give a good mix.
Add shredded chicken, stir and let simmer 30 minutes to an hour.
Serve topped with corn chips, avocado, cilantro, some grated cheese & a lime wedge.
*Preparing the chicken: If you don’t have cooked chicken around the house, take two chicken breasts and grill them with olive oil, salt & pepper. Let them cool before shredding. (Even better, cook four and save two to top a salad with later in the week.)
*To save time, I like to cook as I go - meaning I chop veggies while others (such as the onion and garlic) are in the pot cooking.
Originally shared on Ironman.com’s feature “Cooking with Corbin.”