HEALTHY CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP

 Yesterday, I was going through my cookbook trying to find my recipe for Texas Trash.  While I was thumbing through it, I ran across my recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup.  I love this recipe but I haven't cooked it in awhile...probably because it has been soooo hot lately.  Anyway, it just sounded good and healthy today so it made the cut for dinner tonight.  The house smelled absolutely divine with the garlic, onions, cumin, and cilantro wafting through the air!

What I love about this recipe, is the rich flavor and that it is loaded with lots of healthy stuff like tomatoes, kidney beans, corn, garlic, onions, and poblano pepper.  I like to top it off with avocados and cheese.  But be sure to pick a firmer avocado than you would for guacamole so it will not turn to mush in your soup.  Even though this soup is called Chicken "Tortilla" soup, I don't like the tortillas in mine.  I serve the tortilla strips but I do not like the fact that they get soggy in my soup.  It's kind of like letting your cereal get soggy in  the milk...yuk.

Tonight, I made Navajo Cornbread and Guacamole to go along with the soup and it was scrump-dilly-ump! It made so much that even though there were 6 of us who ate, and some of us (they will remain anonymous) had multiple bowls, I have enough to have Round 2 tomorrow night!  This would be a perfect recipe to put in individual freezer containers and freeze for later.

 I will blog the soup tonight and the cornbread and guacamole later this week!

This has the little tortilla strips

HEALTHY CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP

3-4 pounds chicken breasts (use your own judgment as to how much)
water
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons butter
8 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, diced
1 poblano pepper, diced
4 cans chicken broth (I use Campbells)
1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
2 small cans diced green chiles
small bag frozen corn
1 or 2 cans Kidney Beans, black beans, pintos etc.  your choice
3 cups water (I used the water that I boiled the chicken in)
1 cup of cilantro, chopped (measure cilantro before chopped)
1 teaspoon oregano 
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin, salt and pepper

In a large stock pot, boil chicken in water that has been salted.  Add 2-3 tablespoons of garlic powder and boil until done (approximately 30 minutes), cool and cut into bite-size pieces.

In a large saucepan, melt butter and add oil.  

Saute' onions, poblano pepper, and garlic in the butter/oil until the they are translucent.

Here is a little safety tip...when cutting a bell pepper or any pepper for that matter, cut with the rough side up.  It is easier to cut with a dull knife and reduces the risk of the pepper slipping causing you to cut yourself.

Add chicken broth and tomatoes to the vegetables.

 I thought I would just throw a helpful note in here.  I use a Pampered Chef can opener.  I like it because it removes the lid but leaves the cans edge smooth and without a razor-sharp edge.

Add the tomato paste and tomato sauce

 Add your diced green chiles.

 Add the water that the chicken was boiled in.

Add the oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper.

Chop the cilantro and add to soup

Add corn

Then beans

And chicken

Stir and simmer covered for 1-2 hours

Spoon into your bowl and add your choice of toppings

I bought these instead of making them from scratch

 enjoy!