Chicken Tortilla Soup

Warm, savory, spicy and over the top delicious! Loaded with tasty toppings, avocado, sour cream, jack cheese and tortilla strips! This soup is a must make, it’s perfect for entertaining because you can make it the day before, then just add in the fresh cilantro and heat through.

Ingredients:
Serves 8

Soup

• 1 – 3/4 lb of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, or you can use a rotisserie chicken
• 1 Tbs of olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 small green pepper, chopped
• 1 medium jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 can of fire roasted tomatoes, with juices
• 1 can of black beans, drained
• 5 cups of chicken broth or stock
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 Tbs of chili powder
• 1 tsp of dried oregano
• 1 tsp of paprika
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1/3 cup of chopped fresh cilantro

Toppings:

• 3-4 ripe avocados, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups of sour cream (stir in a little lime juice if you like)
• 1 1/2 cups of shredded jack cheese
• tortilla strips

Directions:

If cooking your own chicken, rub the chicken breasts with a little olive oil and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and a little paprika. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes at 400°, then shred with 2 forks. Or you can use rotisserie chicken and shred the same way, set aside.
Next, in a large saucepan or soup pot, over medium/high heat, add 1 Tbs of olive oil, then add in the onion, green pepper and the jalapeno, saute for 3-4 minutes, add in the garlic and saute for 1 more minute.Now, just add in the remaining ingredients: tomatoes, black beans, chicken broth, lime juice, chili powder, oregano, paprika, salt and the cooked chicken. Stir until well combined, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.Stir in the fresh cilantro, cook for a few more minutes. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, top with sliced avocado, sour cream, jack cheese and tortilla strips. YUM!