I cook. My husband doesn't. We have a system that works really well for us. But when I was leaving town for three weeks to travel with my Mom and sister, I worried about what Charles would eat while I was gone. Would he survive off Domino's? Cooking isn't his talent - he can only really make eggs and steak. I wanted him to have some good healthy food to eat, and I also felt a bit guilty about leaving on a three week trip without him, so I made him a massive batch of Chicken Tortilla Soup. I could pack it up in individual servings, leave half in the fridge, and know that he would have a bunch meals ready.
I first started making this soup when Charles and I started dating. Back in 2009, I was unemployed for a couple months and I spent a considerable amount of time watching Food Network and cooking. Somehow I started making this soup and it became Charles's favorite. I used to make it for him a couple of times a year.
And then I forgot all about it! I hadn't made this soup in over 2 years. This recipe popped into my head again when I was trying to figure out what I could make for Charles that would freeze well.
Sometimes I make this soup using Citrus Roasted Chicken. This time I just went to the grocery store and bought a rotisserie chicken. It was a huge timesaver.
The spice level of this soup is medium. It has the type of heat that builds as you eat it. It isn't super spicy. If you want to add extra spice, add another jalapeno. If you want a more mild soup, only add half of a jalapeno. I added black beans and kidney beans to this soup, but you can add any beans that you like.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- ⅔ cup chopped White Onion
- 3 cloves crushed Garlic
- ⅔ cup chopped Celery
- ⅔ cup chopped Carrot
- Salt and Pepper
- 1 chopped Red Bell Pepper
- 1 chopped Green Bell Pepper
- 1 chopped Jalapeño Pepper
- 8 cups Chicken Stock
- 3 cups diced cooked Chicken
- 1 can Diced Tomatoes
- 1 can Kidney Beans
- 1 can Black Beans
- 1 can Corn
- a handful of Frozen Spinach
- ¼ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- ¼ teaspoon Cumin
- 1 Lime
- 1 cup crushed Tortilla Chips
- *Garnish with slices of jalapeno crushed tortilla chips, and cheddar cheese.
Instructions
- In a large soup pot saute the garlic in the olive oil. Add the onion, and cook until soft - this will take about 5 minutes. Then add the celery, carrot, bell pepper, and jalapeno. Season generously with salt and pepper. Saute for 5 minutes.
- Pour the chicken stock over the vegetables. Add the diced tomatoes, chicken, kidney beans, black beans, corn, spinach, red pepper flakes, and cumin. Squeeze in the juice from the lime. Bring to a simmer.
- Once the soup is simmering, add the crushed tortilla chips. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Taste the soup and add more salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve the soup garnished with tortilla chips, cheese, and slices of jalapeno.
Want to save this recipe for later? Here is an image for you to pin:
