What's For Dinner: Chicken Tortilla Soup

Given that we have a freezer full of whole chickens, a week doesn't pass when we don't have leftover chicken in the fridge. My favorite way to use up leftover cooked chicken is in a soup recipe. And given that our temperatures up here in the Northwoods have been below zero more often than not of late, that soup needs to be hot and spicy.

Enter this recipe for chicken tortilla soup. It's filling, it's warming, and it's spicy without being overwhelmingly hot. I made this in my slow cooker, but you can just as easily make it on the stovetop for a quicker version. A garnish of tortilla strips is always a good idea and gives the soup a little extra crunch ... you could sub in crumbled tortilla chips or, if you have 10 minutes and some soft corn tortillas on hand, you can easily make a batch of your own. 

Chicken Tortilla Soup (printer-friendly version)

makes 6-8 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

3/4 cup chopped red pepper

1 tablespoon minced jalapeño

1/2 cup chopped white onion

2 cans fire roasted diced tomatoes with juices

4 cups chicken broth

2 cups shredded chicken

1 can black beans, rinsed

1/2 cup frozen corn kernels

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

For garnish:

tortilla strips

fresh cilantro

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped green pepper, red pepper, minced jalapeño, and chopped white onion and saute until softened, 7-9 minutes.  

2. Stir in the diced tomatoes (and juices), chicken broth, shredded chicken, black beans, and frozen corn kernels. Add the chili powder, ground cumin, and ground coriander and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes. 

3. Garnish each bowl of soup with tortilla strips and fresh cilantro before serving.

You can also make this in the slow cooker! After sauting the peppers and onion, add to the bowl of a slow cooker. Add in the diced tomatoes, chicken broth, and shredded chicken. Then stir in the chili powder, cumin, and ground coriander. Set the slow cooker to low and cook for 2 hours. Twenty minutes before serving, stir in the black beans and frozen corn kernels and cook until warmed through. Serve immediately.