Tortilla Soup

I’m coming around on the soup idea. Just the idea of soups in general. For those of you who don’t know me, I really hated soup as a kid. The idea of drinking my food was weird, and the texture was always weird…ycckkkk. But since I’ve gotten married, I’ve come across a soup recipe here and there, and I’ll admit that I’m starting to get hooked. Just starting, mind you. It’ll still be a while…=)

This soup is one of those recipes that just make you smile. It worked on the first try, leftovers were great, and it left you feeling happy inside. The kiddo scarfed it down the first time, too. He stuck up his nose at it the second time, don’t ask me why…crazy kid…

Tortilla Soup

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 peppers (red and yellow are best, but I guess green is okay), finely chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

3 cloves minced garlic

½ tsp cumin

(pinch of cayenne - we would have loved this, but left it out for the kiddo)

2 chicken breasts, chopped and seasoned with cumin, chili powder, and S&P

1 can (4 oz) green chilis, mild

1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained

4 cups chicken broth or stock

½ cup red enchilada sauce

1/3 cup sour cream

Garnishes:

sour cream

avocado

shredded cheddar cheese

lime

fresh cilantro

toasted tortilla strips*

Sauté onions and peppers in olive oil until tender. Add garlic and spices for one minute more.  Add chicken pieces and sauté until just cooked through.

Pour in chilis, black beans, chicken broth, and enchilada sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat, and stir in sour cream until fully incorporated.

Serve with garnishes of your choice. We loved the avocado, cilantro, and tortilla strips the most. This made two good-sized meals for us (including the kiddo, if he would have eaten it the second time around…).

*Tortilla strips are ridiculously easy to make. Use a pizza cutter to cut up a tortilla into the size strips you want. Place them on a lightly greased baking sheet and toast in a 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes. Keep an eye on them so they get toasted enough, but not too brown. I just toasted a new one for the leftovers while the soup was reheating on the stove.

For the record, I won't be offended if you ditch my blog and follow hers instead (where I got this recipe). It's an amazing blog. I hope I can create my own recipes one day, like that.