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Eat Well May. 21. 2019
Soups

Chicken Tortilla Soup

May. 21. 2019
Soups
McKel Hill Kooienga, MS, RDN, LDN

McKel Hill Kooienga, MS, RDN, LDN

Founder of Nutrition Stripped® and the Mindful Nutrition Method™

Who said that soup is just for cooler months? Not when you have this delicious, light, and citrusy Chicken Tortilla Soup!

Now that Spring is finally here, most of us are looking for ways to use seasonal fresh vegetables and fruits. Including, fun recipes to celebrate a new season, but with all the excitement, we couldn’t forget about our neverending love of soup, so we asked ourselves a question.

What is a soup that is just as fitting in the middle of summer or in the coldest days of winter, that is comforting, healthy and filling, and so easy to make? That’s when it hit us, it’s Chicken Tortilla Soup!

The Tortilla In Chicken Tortilla Soup

Make your own baked tortilla chips

Part of the crunchy and delicious part of this soup is the garnish and use of tortilla chips. You can absolutely purchase an organic brand of tortilla chips that you love, or you can simply bake them at home using homemade or storebought organic corn tortillas.

Here’s how to make your own baked tortilla chips to garnish this soup:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  2. Place corn tortillas on a baking sheet and bake until crispy, about 7 minutes
  3. That’s it!

Chicken Or No Chicken

There are many directions you can take this recipe in regards to your protein preference. We know that chicken isn’t for everyone, here in Nashville we try our best to source our chicken from local farmers within the community that practice sustainable and completely free-range farms.

If you want to learn more about the topic, check out my Guide To Eating Animal Proteins. If you’re looking for a vegan option or one that doesn’t contain animal proteins, then try tofu or tempeh. You’re in luck because both of these options work perfectly well with this chicken tortilla soup.

Whether you’re in the mood for something new with a little kick, or you’re like us and you know that chicken tortilla soup is always a good idea, we know you are going to love this tasty soup.

Stripped

Protein

Looking for the guide to animal proteins, read here.

Looking for plant-based proteins to use in this recipe instead, read here.

Antioxidants

Tomatoes are a great burst of flavor in this recipe, but also very nutritious. Tomatoes contain a large amount of the antioxidant, lycopene, that’s been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease and cancer. They’re also packed with vitamin C, potassium, vitamin K, and folate.

Healthy Fats

Avocados, if used as a garnish, contain fiber and healthy fats. About a 1/2 of an avocado has about 7g fiber, monounsaturated fats, potassium, vitamin E, K, and B vitamins (particularly folate).

The Recipe

Serves 6-8

Print

Ingredients

1 pound organic, free-range chicken breast

1-quart vegetable stock or chicken stock

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

4 Roma tomatoes diced

1 cup corn, frozen or fresh

2 limes

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1 yellow onion, cut in half

1 green bell pepper, finely diced

3 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon ground cumin

Your favorite corn tortillas

salt and pepper to taste

Fresh avocado, cilantro, and hot sauce to garnish

Directions

Step 1

In a large Dutch oven, add the stock, half of a yellow onion, chicken breast and gently simmer until chicken is cooked through completely and registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.

Remove chicken and set aside. Strain broth through a mesh strainer into a bowl and set aside. Discard 1/2 onion.

Step 2

In large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add remaining 1/2 onion, finely diced, green pepper and Roma tomatoes and cook until vegetables are tender and translucent about 10 minutes. Add crushed garlic, cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Step 3

Add broth to Dutch oven and cook until lightly simmering. Add corn, black beans. Tear or cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add to the pot. Simmer until corn and beans are tender, about 15 minutes.

Step 4

Add chopped cilantro, and the juice of 1 lime and stir to incorporate. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with crispy corn tortillas, fresh cilantro, diced avocado, and lime juice. Enjoy!

Have Leftovers? Here’s What To Do With Them:

As always, store in an airtight glass container that we recommend from the NS Shop for up to a month in the freezer, or in the fridge for one week.

Can’t wait to see you try it!

Did you know that you can submit your own photo of whatever recipe you make from NS? Scroll down to the bottom right and you’ll see a section for you to show off your creations from home!

Can’t wait to see how you make these and share your meal with me! Tag us on Instagram @nutritionstripped #nutritionstripped

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