Chicken Tortilla Soup

This past Wednesday I cooked some delicious Chicken Tortilla Soup for our children and their parents in our weekly "Dinner with Father" program, and since many people asked for the recipe, here it is. Enjoy.  

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 medium carrots, chopped

6 cloves of garlic, diced or minced

4 cups of low-sodium chicken broth

one 14-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 cup mild picante sauce

one 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

one 15-ounce can ranch style beans, undrained

1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn

1 teaspoon ground cumin

half teaspoon black pepper

half teaspoon oregano leaves

half teaspoon chili powder

a tiny pinch of paprika

2 cups or more chopped cooked skinless chicken breasts or thighs

15 springs of cilantro, chopped

Sliced black olives, optional

tortilla chips, optional – broken up, on top of soup

sliced avocados, optional

shredded cheese, optional

 

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and garlic. Cook until onion is tender, approx 6 minutes.

2. Increase heat to high and add broth, tomatoes, picante sauce, beans, corn and spices. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Add chicken and cilantro. Cook for another 15 minutes, until thoroughly heated.

4. Serve with a topping of tortilla chips and sliced avocados and grated cheese (optional)