Before I write anything else, fried tortillas are not in this soup. It’s chicken tortilla soup without the tortillas but it doesn’t sound as nice saying chicken tortilla-less soup. You can certainly add crispy tortillas on top but I did not have any on hand when I made this so you get what you get. 

Now that that’s off my chest, let’s talk about this amazing soup. I’m sooooo not one of those people that hate soup in the summer. I love it every day of the year. It could be 100 degrees outside and I’ll have soup simmering away in my kitchen. I was never a fan of cold soups like gazpacho so I stuck to my favorites. This soup has all of my favorite flavors. Garlic, tomatoes, cumin, peppers, onions, chicken and beans. I grew up on these ingredients so there’s something so heart warming about this soup. It has become a popular starter dish in restaurants and can be made many ways but I have my own. The first time I ever made it, it came out absolutely AWFUL. It tasted like spicy water with chicken and veggies. Now, I’ve mastered it just the way I like it. 

I like spice. Everything always tastes better to me with some spice so I added cayenne to this recipe. If you rather a mild soup, then scratch the chayanne. If you rather more heat, than add jalepenos or your preference of chiles. There is so much flavor in this soup so feel free to experiment and add any other spices or herbs that you think would fit. I think I had the perfect amount of broth to ingredients but if you like a thicker soup, add less broth. An important step is to use the liquids from all of your canned ingredients. They pack lots of flavor and add to the broth.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs of cooked chicken breast shredded * you can use a rotisserie chicken if you don’t want to make your own
• 2 32oz containers of low sodium chicken stock 
• 2 14.5oz cans of diced petite tomatoes
• 4 garlic cloves minced 
• 1 large yellow onion diced 
• 1 14.5 oz can of black beans
• 1 14.5oz can of yellow corn 
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro 
• 1 green pepper diced
• 1 red pepper diced
• 2 tbsp olive oil 
• *optional for garnish, cheese, avacodo, 

Seasonings:

• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano 
• Salt and pepper to taste 

Cook your chicken first. A simple recipe is to season 1 1/2 lbs of chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder and coo. Let cool then shred 

1. In a large soup pot over medium heat, add your olive oil and sauté your diced onion and peppers until almost fully tender. Add your garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes. (If you are using jalapeño, add during this step)
2. Add your shredded chicken and toss everything together to warm the chicken. This takes about 2 minutes. You may have to add a little more oil to moisten things.
3. Add your tomatoes, beans and corn along with the liquid in the cans. Quickly toss everything together and add your stock and all the seasonings. Increase heat to medium high and cook until it boils. Give it a good stir and reduce heat to medium low. Let cook for 30 mins
4. Taste for any flavor adjustments. When finished, add cilantro, stir and serve.
5. Garnish with your favorite toppings.