A Weekend Craving: Chicken Tortilla Soup

While we're nearing record high temps in Richmond this weekend, a few weeks back we had a cold streak that led me to wanting to make a batch of soup. It's one of my most favorite things to cook and I've been lucky that nearly all of the recipes I've tried have left us more than satisfied. I received a new dutch oven from my parents for Christmas and you can spot her in all of her bright red glory in the shots below (thanks mom & dad!). I have a feeling that my streak of making soups isn't going to be over anytime soon.

This recipe was pulled from here on FoodNetwork.com and I just slightly tweaked it to work with what I had on hand.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 small onion, diced

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 jalapenos, finely diced (I used sliced jalapenos from a jar)

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 14.5oz can of fire roasted diced tomatoes

1 14.5oz can of black beans, rinsed & drained

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 limes, juiced

salt & freshly ground black pepper

1 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro

shredded monterey jack cheese

In a large saucepan, heat the vegetable oil. Add the onions & cook for 2 minutes. Once the onions have softened, add the garlic & jalapenos & cook for another minute. Pour the chicken broth, tomatoes & beans into the pot & bring to a boil. Once at boil, lower heat to a simmer & add your chicken breasts. Cook the chicken for 20 to 25 minutes. Once the chicken is cooked, remove from pot. When cool enough to handle, shred it & add it back into the pot. Add lime juice & cilantro. 

Serve topped with monterey jack cheese and tortilla chips. And if you like a little extra heat, also top with more sliced jalapenos, which we did with the leftovers.

Do you have any great soup recipes that you'd like to share with me?? I'm all ears...and tastebuds. 

Hope you guys are having a wonderful weekend!

Mendi