Chicken Tortilla Soup

I have been loving a good bowl of soup for dinners recently! They are super easy and are great for cold night or to serve a crowd. This chicken tortilla soup recipe is very simple but can be spiced up with tons of different topping options! I opted to blend the vegetables (besides the beans and corn) to make a smoother base. If you want to skip this step and make a heartier soup you definitely can!

Serves 8 to 10 good sized bowls

Ingredients:

3 Chicken Breasts

48 oz Low Sodium Chicken Broth (1 and ½ cartons of broth)

1 tub of TJ’s Mirepoix (or about 2 combined cups of onion, celery and carrots)

1 Red Bell Pepper

1 can Diced Tomatoes

1 can Black Beans

1 can Corn or 1.5 cups frozen Corn

3 to 4 cloves of Garlic

1 packet of TJ’s Taco Seasoning (or your favorite seasoning!)

Olive Oil

Toppings:

Radishes

Avocado

Cilantro

Green Onions

Cheddar Cheese

Jalapenos

Tortilla Strips (made by thinly slicing tortillas and baking in the oven!)

Sour Cream

1. Heat 2 to 3 tbsp of olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium to high heat. Dice the red pepper, mince the garlic and add, along with the entire tub of TJ’s mirepoix, to the pot. Saute the vegetables for 8 to 10 minutes until they start to cook down and become tender.

2. Add the diced tomatoes (and juice) and the entire packet of taco seasoning to the pot and stir to coat the vegetables.

3. Using a large spoon, transfer the vegetable mixture to a blender, add the chicken broth and blend to combine and create a smooth broth. If your blender is not big enough just use 1 carton of chicken broth. Return the blended vegetables and broth to the pot and add any remaining chicken broth. You can also keep the vegetables in the pot, add the broth and use an immersion blender to blend the ingredients.

4. Bring the broth to a boil and add the chicken breasts. Cover the pot and reduce heat to low. Let chicken cook in broth for about 22-25 minutes.

5. Remove chicken breasts from the pot and place on a cutting board. Use two forks to shred the chicken into bite size pieces. It should be very tender and perfectly cooked.

6. Add the chicken back to the pot of broth. Drain the can of beans and corn and add directly to the pot. Give the ingredients a good stir and heat over low to medium heat for about 5 to 6 minutes until corn, beans and chicken are warmed through. Taste and add any additional salt and pepper.

7. Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy!