Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Chicken and Blackbean Tortilla Soup



 I'm a soup person. I love soup. As far as dinners go soup is pretty easy to make, and it's a one pot meal so there's very little clean up too. That's pretty much a win-win in my book. 
I should probably mention as a disclaimer sort of thing that I came up with this recipe myself and I'm not the type to do exact measurements, so just keep that in mind when it comes to seasoning. I have a firm belief that most things should be seasoned to taste. If you don't like things too spicy just use a little cumin or chili powder, and if you like things spicy add in some cayenne. The only way to see what combination of flavors you prefer is by trying different things. That being said, no two batches of soup I make are exactly the same. I'm okay with this, because everything should be better the next time you make it, right?

still want to make my soup recipe?

 3 boneless chicken breasts (I use frozen)
Olive oil
1 - green bell pepper
1/2 - large yellow or white onion
1 - jalapeno (or half of one if you want to cut back on the spiciness) 
1 - 7 oz can of green chiles 
1 - 15 oz can of corn
1-  15 oz can of Mexican style diced tomatoes
1 - 15 oz can of black beans
48 oz of chicken broth (use low sodium if you like)
3 cups of water
cilantro 
Cumin
Chili powder
Garlic powder
Onion powder 
and one large soup pot

Begin by cooking your chicken, season it generously with cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and onion powder. You can add in some cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to make the soup spicier if you want. (because I use frozen I usually cook the chicken at 375 degrees for around 40 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked thoroughly. also i usually cook the chicken a little bit ahead of time)
The next step is to cut up your bell pepper and onion. How you cut it is entirely up to you. The bigger the pieces the chunkier your soup with be. Add the pepper and onion to your soup pot and coat with olive oil, cook at medium low heat until softened. Next add in the can of green chiles and drained can of corn. Once that has had a chance to cook a little you can add in your cooked chicken (diced or shredded will work), your can of Mexican style tomatoes, the 48 oz if chicken broth, and 3 cups of water along with the drained can of black beans. Turn the heat up to medium. This is also when you can added in more cumin, chili powder and the cilantro. Let the soup come to a boil while stirring continuously to avoid burning. Once it comes to a boil you can drop the heat back down to low. Cover until ready to serve.


I'm not sure how many this recipe serves, but it makes a lot of soup. When I make this it usually last for a few meals (because it's just the two of us). You will most likely have leftovers, which is good because this soup is even better the second day.
 I like to serve it with sliced avocados, sour cream, shredded cheese, and of course tortilla chips.
This recipe is very versatile too. For example if you don't like bell peppers you can swap it out for a hatch green chile instead. The black beans can be swapped out for red kidney beans ect.


I love this soup too because it is delicious no matter the time of year. It is full of delicious veggies but can be made creamy with the sour cream and avocado. 
I hope you decide to try it out and love it as much as I do, and of course if you do, let me know what you and your family thought!
-Reagan

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