Chicken Tortilla soup

Yield: 6-7 servings

Ingredients

• 1-2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
• 1 medium red or green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 8 ounce can tomato sauce
• 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds (about 3 medium) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed into 1-inch pieces
• 3 to 4 corn tortillas, chopped (see note)
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• Sour cream, shredded cheese, cilantro, lime wedges, avocados, crispy tortilla strips or chips, and other desired toppings, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Pressure cooker: Using the saute function, heat the olive oil and saute the onion, garlic, jalapeño and bell pepper for 2-3 minutes until the onion starts to soften.
2. Add the salt, pepper, chicken broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, black beans, chili powder, oregano, and cumin, chicken, and chopped tortillas. Stir.
3. Secure the lid and cook on high pressure for 7 minutes.
4. Let the pressure naturally release for 10-15 minutes before using quick release for the remaining pressure.
5. Stir in the corn and lime juice. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve with desired toppings.
6. Stovetop: In a 4- or 5-quart pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat, and saute the onion, garlic, jalapeño and bell pepper for 2-3 minutes until the onion starts to soften.
7. Add the salt, pepper, chicken broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, black beans, chili powder, oregano, and cumin. Stir.
8. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
9. Add the chicken and chopped tortillas; cook for 8-10 minutes more until the chicken is cooked through.
10. Stir in the corn and lime juice. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve with desired toppings.
11. Slow Cooker: In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat, and saute the onion, garlic, jalapeño and bell pepper for 2-3 minutes until the onion starts to soften. Scrape the mixture into the slow cooker (you can skip this pre-cooking step, but I like to do it since I find that sometimes the onions don't soften all the way when cooking).
12. Add the salt, pepper, chicken broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, black beans, chili powder, oregano, cumin, chicken, and chopped tortillas. Stir.
13. Cook for 4-6 hours on low or 2-3 on high. Stir in the corn and lime juice. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve with desired toppings.

Notes

Let's talk about those corn tortillas for a second. I like adding the chopped corn tortillas while the soup is cooking - they soften and dissolve a little bit in the soup adding a yummy texture, and they thicken the soup slightly. You don't have to add them if you don't want, or you can substitute them with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of masa harina (I haven't tried it with regular cornmeal, but I'm guessing it would work).