Get in the kitchen and make: Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup

 (allrecipes.com)

Prep Time: 30 Min

Cook Time: 30 Min

Ready In: 1 Hr

Ingredients

• 1-2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• 3 10.75 ounce cans cream of chicken soup
• 3 14.5 ounce cans chicken broth
• 3 14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes, drained
• 1-3 4.25 ounce cans chilies, drained
• 1 10 ounce package frozen corn, thawed
• 2 cups uncooked brown rice
• 1-3 15 ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• Garlic salt to taste
• Cumin to taste
• Chili powder to taste 
• Light sour cream (optional)
• Shredded cheese - mexican or cheddar are good (optional)
• Tortilla chips/strips (optional) 

Directions

1. Cook and shred chicken
2. Drain and rinse black beans, set aside
3. Drain diced tomatoes and chilies, set aside
4. Mix all ingredients (except garlic salt, cumin and chili powder) in large stock pot, bring to boil
5. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes
6. Add garlic salt, cumin and chili powder to taste
7. Garnish with tortilla chips, sour cream and cheese
8. Makes 5-6 quarts of soup (or enough to fill a big crock pot)

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The original recipe for this "Six Can Chicken Tortilla Soup," comes from allrecipes.com and I actually blogged about it last year. When I originally made the soup last year, although it was super easy and very fast to make, my major critique was that I could taste the metal when eating the chicken. Since that time, I read a lot of the reviews of the original recipe and decided to modify it.

I didn't chunk or cube the chicken prior to cooking as I usually do because I thought shredded chicken would go better in this soup. So I cooked the breasts in a pan on medium until the center wasn't pink and then I used this tip I found on pinterest and put the hot chicken in my KitchenAid mixer and used the paddle attachment to shred it. I determined it was completely shredded before it actually was, so don't make this mistake. Fork through the chicken to make sure it's really separated enough before you mix it in the soup.

You can buy diced tomatoes that already come mixed with chilies but I chose not to so that I had more control over how spicy the soup was. If you are worried about the soup being too spicy, add the cans of chilies one by one, tasting as you go. I used all three cans and it definitely has a kick but the perfect amount for us. I should warn you, I made the soup the night before I was going to serve it and a lot of the spiciness went away. I'm not sure if the tomatoes watered the soup down over night or what, but if you like your soup with a kick and are going to be storing this soup over night, I would make it a little spicier than you think it should be.

Last year when I made this recipe I didn't use the black beans because I didn't think I liked them. I've become much more daring since then (chili beans in my chili, black beans in my soup - skydiving will be next). I think I'm growing up. The beans really do add an extra something to the soup.

Here is the soup garnished with cheddar cheese,
sour cream and crumbled tortilla chips. It really
adds an extra something to the soup.

I took this recipe to the soup swap I organized at work and the reviews were all good. Although, who is really going to look me in the eye and tell me my soup was gross? Don't worry, I watched to see if anyone gagged or darted for the trash can. I brought the extra soup home and Pat and I had it for dinner tonight. Not only did he give it a 10 out of 10 but he actually went on to say, and I quote, "this is restaurant quality." You heard it here first, folks.

Now get in the kitchen and make yourself some Chicken Tortilla Soup.  You won't regret it.

Happy cooking, friends.