Claire's Mexican Chicken Soup

As the autumn temperatures are falling into the "cold" zone, I start feeling some nesting urges creeping in. I start watching more Hallmark movies, creating knitting projects, and making yummy soups. One quick and easy soup that I like to create is a Mexican Chicken Soup.

All the ingredients for this soup are staples in my in pantry. That makes it a quick and easy soup without a trip to the store.

Claire's Mexican Chicken Soup

Yummy!

ACTIVE TIME 15 mins.

TOTAL TIME 1 hour

CATEGORIES soup

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tsp. chili powder

• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes

• 1 tsp. cumin

• salt/pepper

• 1 can tomato diced 28 oz.

• 1 can tomatoes green chilis

• 2 Tbsp tomato paste

• 1 can of whole corn

• 1 can black beans

• 1 medium onion

• 1 medium green pepper

• 2 quarts chicken broth

• 3 chicken breasts (boneless)

• 1 lime or 1 Tbsp lime juice

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Saute onions and peppers.

2. Put all ingredients into a 6 quart dutch oven.

3. Cook on medium heat for 45 minutes or until chicken is done.

4. Shred chicken and squeeze half a lime into soup at the end.

5. Serve with tortilla chips.

6. Serving options:Shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips, fresh cilantro. This soup can be frozen for several months.

Speaking of cilantro, I am one of the 20% of the population can not stand the taste of cilantro. It tastes like soap to me. But feel free to add it to this soup if you enjoy it.

A few thoughts on soup:

Growing up I thought that soup only came out of a can. We grew up with Campbell soup cans in our pantry. The only soup I can remember eating as a child was chicken noodle and tomato soup. In our family it seemed that you always had soup and a sandwich together. The classic tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich was one of our staple meals. I was never a fan of Campbells tomato soup. I thought it had an odd tinny taste.

I remember when my dad had moved out and into his own apartment and he was always making soup......"Gourmet soups" as he called them. As a child of the 60s with lots of processed foods, I turned my nose up at gourmet anything. On top of that I couldn't understand how a bowl of soup could possibly be a whole meal. I smile at the thought of my dad creating a delicious meal of a yummy soup and how he has inspired me to do the same.

Today I am a lover of all kinds of soups. Hearty cheesy soups, chilis, brothy onion soups, and beef stews, being some of my favorites. I seldom eat Campbell's soups any more because I can whip up a killer chicken noodle to sooth the soul. I am hoping to find new soups to try, and looking forward to some of my sisters' soup recipes. Check back soon for more savvy soup recipes.

Smile and Be Kind,

Claire