Soups are one of my absolute favorite meals to make ... there is so much room for variety and flavor. Not to mention they are great for freezing and enjoying later down the road! There is one soup that I first made when I was in college, and have tweaked it maybe only twice, but it is my absolute favorite! The best part about this soup is how it really fills you up. And last night, I warmed up another bowl and after posting a photo, had yet again, a flurry of requests for this recipe!

Chicken Tortilla Salsa Soup

Yield: 6-8 Servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 T vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 jalapenos, finely diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 4 cups chicken broth (1 box)
• 2 (14.5 oz) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• cooked chicken (equivalent to 3 chicken breasts, or however much you prefer); or 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
• 2 limes, juiced, plus wedges for garnish
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• tortilla chips
• 1 avocado, pitted, sliced
• 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese

Instructions

In a large saucepan (or pot for soup) heat the vegetable oil. add the onions & bell pepper and cook for 2 min. - once the onions & pepper have softened, add the jalapeños (can also add the jalapeno seeds at this point and let them cook in the oil for a little extra flavor).pour the chicken broth, tomatoes, and beans into the pot and bring to a boil. once at a boil, lower heat to simmer and add chicken. add lime juice and fresh cilantro to the pot. add salt and pepper to taste.

When serving, if desired, add crushed tortilla chips to the bowl, and ladle soup on top. You can also choose to crush tortilla chips on top of the soup, or use to dip into the soup (like a salsa).

Optional Toppings:

Add avocado slices and cheese and sour cream. Serve with more tortilla chips and a lime wedge.

Another reason that I love this recipe so much is that it is very versatile! I will often add or remove ingredients to make it more or less spicy. You can also add more broth to make soupy, or less broth to make more like a stew. Sometimes we will use our tortilla chips to scoop up our soup like a salsa!