Katie Woosley

The days here in North Carolina are FINALLY getting colder which means soup season (and pumpkin spice season 🙂 ) has finally arrived! This has to be one of my favorite times of year, right behind Christmas. To me, there is no better supper in the fall and winter than a warm bowl of soup. As I was going through my recipes deciding what to make, I realized I didn’t have very many soup options, so, this fall, I have made it a goal to find some great ones! I tried out this chicken tortilla soup a couple weeks ago, and it is definitely one that I will make again and again. Like most soups, it is super easy to make. You just sauté a few veggies, dump everything in and let it cook. It also works wonderfully for meal prep. This soup is great all on its own, but I ate mine with half of a grilled cheese to add some more carbs. It would also be good with tortilla chips or cornbread.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, diced
• 2 jalapeños, finely diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 4 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 15oz can corn, drained
• 32oz chicken broth
• 3 chicken breasts
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 4oz cream cheese, cubed
• juice of 1 lime
• shredded cheese for topping (optional)

Directions:

• Heat a large pot with a little bit of olive oil over medium heat. Saute peppers, onions, celery, and garlic until soft. Add all other ingredients except cream cheese and lime juice.
• Bring to a boil and let it simmer for 20-25 minutes until the chicken breasts are cooked through.
• Take the chicken out and shred it (I use a hand mixer to shred it). Add it back to the pot along with cream cheese and lime juice. Stir it all together and let it simmer for another 5-10 minutes to let cream cheese melt. You can top with cheese and cilantro if desired.

If you try out this soup, let me know how you like it!