Chicken Tortilla Soup

CHIPOTLES. The essential ingredient when you want to make the BEST chicken tortilla soup. Chipotles and the adobo sauce they’re drowning in. It gives a nice smoky taste, and depending on how many peppers you use, can also add some good spice. I usually use 1-1.5 peppers and 3-ish tablespoons of the adobo sauce for this recipe. But if you don’t like spice, use sparingly and taste as you go. (You can also scrape the seeds out of the peppers to cut down on the spice.) This is easy, delicious, and low in fat.

If you want to save some time, use a rotisserie chicken. Costco now sells rotisserie chickens already cut into pieces, saving you the awful job of, you know, dismantling the chicken.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:
2 large chicken breasts (or 1 rotisserie chicken)
2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
1/2 white onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups hot water
Chipotles in adobo sauce (to your taste)
1- 14.5 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1- 14.5 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
1- 14.5 oz can fire roasted corn, drained
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon chili powder (plus 1 teaspoon to season chicken)
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt to taste

Toppings:
Chopped cilantro
Avocado
Shredded cheese
Tortilla chips
Fresh lime
Sour cream

To prep the chicken (if you’re not using rotisserie), lay the chicken breasts on a foil lined sheet pan and season with cumin, 1 teaspoon of chili powder, salt, and pepper. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until it reaches an internal temp of 165 degrees. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, cut into small, bite size pieces.

In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat, then add the onion and bell pepper and sauté, stirring frequently for 3-4 minutes.  Add in garlic and sauté for another minute or so.

Add the chicken, black beans, canned tomatoes, corn, tomato paste, and chili powder to the pot and stir. Pour in the chicken broth and hot water. (I like to add the liquid towards the end because it lets you achieve the consistency you’re looking for. Add more or less hot water as needed.)

Add chipotle peppers and adobo sauce to your spice preference and stir. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Taste and add salt if needed. Simmer for at least 30 minutes before serving.

The toppings are what really make this soup delicious. Pick your favorites (I recommend cheese, cilantro, chips, and avocado at a minimum!) and definitely add a squeeze of fresh lime. This recipe is large enough that I bet you’ll have some leftover for lunch the next day…hooray!