Comforting Chicken Tortilla Soup

One of my favorite things about fall is all the fall foods. Soups, chilis, stews…. You get the picture. But, I do live in Texas so fall is, well, a short-lived season. Luckily, I can crank the A/C down, watch the weather in Denver, and eat my fall foods in bliss.

The other thing about living in Texas? Mexican food is EVERYWHERE. Seriously, I don’t think I can go more than a couple of miles without seeing at least one Mexican food restaurant. Of course I have my local favorites and a few chain favorites. The local ones are always the best though. So authentic. Anyway, I have a few go-to dishes that I order when trying out a new restaurant. You know, so I can compare to my favorites. Well, one of my favorite dishes is chicken tortilla soup. Every restaurant makes it so different. Some are more oily, others spicy, and of course some are way too cheesy for my liking.

Well, I like to try to recreate my favorites as much as possible. Usually it winds up being nothing like a restaurant’s version. Sometimes better, sometimes a fail. But most of the time just different. But I’m telling you, this soup is seriously restaurant quality. Just sayin’.

This soup has so much flavor that even my husband commented on how good it was. I knew it was blog-worthy at that point, ha! Check the recipe below and let me know if you try it out! Tag me @kristi_blount with your creations!

Comforting Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

• 1 lb Chicken
• 2 Cloves Garlic
• 1 1/2 tsp Cumin
• 1/4 tsp Chili Powder
• 32 oz Chicken Broth
• 15 oz Canned Organic Diced Tomatoes
• 1 Jalapeno, diced
• 1/2 cup Frozen Corn
• 1/2 tsp Paprika
• 1/8 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 1/2 tbsp Avocado Oil
• 4 Corn (or Flour) Tortillas

Cooking Directions

1. Combine all ingredients, except avocado oil and tortillas, to large pot. Bring to a boil then cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Pull out the chicken breasts and, using two forks, shred the chicken. Return the chicken to the pot and continue simmering for 5 additional minutes.
3. Meanwhile, add olive oil to pan and preheat. Cut the corn tortillas into strips. Add to the pan and sauté until both sides are browned and crispy.
4. Top each bowl of soup with tortilla strips and half an avocado. For a little extra spice, add an extra sprinkle of red pepper flakes on top. Enjoy!