Meghan’s Chicken Tortilla Soup

By lauramae

When I made this for my family, I got nothing but “mmmmm”s in return. The chicken broth/tomato base is deliciously seasoned and the soup has a nice amount of chunkiness from the onion, corn, and chicken.

But what really makes this Chicken Tortilla Soup special is the surprise hiding at the bottom of the bowl. Down under all those tasty spoons of soup are chunks of fresh mozzarella cheese. The cheese keeps its form, but the heat of the soup transforms it into ooey-gooey blissful bites. And although the mozzarella is listed as an optional garnish, because the soup is still great without it, I highly recommend that it be moved to the top of the ingredient list.  It’s really quite spectacular.

Ingredients

• optional garnishes:
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 sweet bell peppers (preferably red, orange, or yellow), chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 T. olive oil
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
• 32 oz. chicken broth
• 1 14-oz. can corn, drained
• 1 14-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and shredded into bite-size pieces (roasted deli chicken works great!)
• 2 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
• fresh avocado, cut into 1″ chunks
• fresh mozzarella, cut into 1″ chunks
• chopped fresh cilantro
• chopped green onions
• tortilla crisps (shown in photos, found near the croutons and salad toppings in the fresh produce area)
• fresh lime slices

Details

Adapted from afarmgirlsdabbles.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a medium stock pot, heat oil over medium heat.  Saute onion, sweet bell peppers, and garlic in oil until soft.

Stir in chili powder, oregano, cumin, tomatoes, and broth.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.

Stir in corn, black beans, chicken, and lime juice.  Simmer for 10 minutes, or until heated throughout.

Place avocado and mozzarella in the bottom of individual serving bowls.  Ladle the soup over the top.  Cheese will stay in its form but become melted and ooey-gooey…yummy!

Top with cilantro, green onions, and tortilla crisps (or Tostitos ‘hint of lime’ tortilla chips instead of the tortilla crisps), with slices of fresh lime on the side.