The cold weather is here to stay, and what better way to stay healthy and warm than with a hearty bowl of chicken soup! This isn’t your average veggie-chicken-clear-broth chicken soup (although I have a delicious “average” chicken soup recipe too) – this is a spicy tomato-based chicken soup, sort of like a “tortilla” soup you might order at a Mexican restaurant.
This soup is based on this recipe. I have made this soup so many times that for my own family I no longer measure anything; rather, I just “eyeball” how much of everything I need. This recipe is very forgiving, so feel free to experiment and modify – it’s hard to go wrong (unless you accidentally dump the whole jar of chili powder in your pot…! 🙂 ).
Below is my modified version which is much easier than the recipe linked to above…and I’m all about keeping recipes simple! Plus, my version is dairy-free – although you can add sour cream, as I mention later on.
Ingredients:
- 2 quarts water
- 8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley
- 1 (16 ounce) jar chunky salsa
- (14.5 ounce) cans peeled and diced tomatoes
- 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 (15 ounce) cans whole kernel corn, drained
In a large pot combine water, chicken, spices (except the chili powder), and corn. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for an hour (or until chicken juices run clear). Remove chicken, shred chicken, and return the shredded chicken to the pot. Stir in salsa, tomatoes, tomato soup, and beans. Add chili powder. Stir. Simmer for another 30 minutes.
Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, sliced avocado, and tortilla chips. Enjoy!
Tips: Make this recipe even easier by using a rotisserie chicken. Add more beans, corn, and/or tomatoes if you desire a thicker soup. Add additional chicken if you need to feed more people.
Featured Image Source (one day I’ll get a photo of my own soup, but until then this is very similar to what it looks like!)
