Spicy Chicken Taco Soup

I think almost everyone who cooks regularly knows a version of this recipe, but I'll go ahead and err on the side of replication because this soup is so wonderful, so easy, and, really, quite healthy. There are a lot of ways to fatten up this recipe or to make it go a lot further, but I'll share the bare necessities with you.


Spicy Chicken Taco Soup


Ingredients (measurements are approximate)


3-4 fresh boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 stalk of celery, half of which is finely chopped
1 large white onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1 10 oz. can of Rotel tomatoes (diced tomato with green chile -- I go with "Original," but milder or spicier versions are also available)
1-2 14 oz. cans of reduced sodium chicken broth, or reserved broth
1 package of taco seasoning
1 package of ranch dressing seasoning
1 15.5 oz. can of pinto beans, drained
1 15.5 oz. can of kidney beans, drained
2 C of frozen sweet corn
1/2 C of chopped fresh cilantro


coarse salt
freshly cracked black pepper
2 T of extra virgin olive oil


Directions:

1. Start a large pot of boiling water, and boil chicken breasts for about 20 minutes with whole celery stalks, a tsp. of coarse salt, and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper.
2. While the chicken is boiling, dice and mince your celery, onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Mix ingredients in a bowl with a tsp. of coarse salt and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper.
3. Heat another large pot over a medium-high heat and add extra virgin olive oil. Once oil is heated, add chopped vegetables, stirring frequently for about 6 minutes, until vegetables begin to soften.
4. Add diced tomatoes and Rotel. Stir.
5. Add 2 cans of chicken broth or, alternatively, use the broth created by boiling the chicken. Stir. Lower the heat to medium, and allow the soup to come to a gentle boil.
6. Transfer cooked chicken breasts to a cutting board, and cut into bite-sized pieces. Discard the boiled celery stalks.
7. Transfer the chopped chicken to the soup bowl and add the ranch and taco seasonings. Mix well, and allow to come to a boil.
8. Add drained kidney and pinto beans to the soup pot. Stir well.
9. Add frozen sweet corn to the soup and stir well.
10. Finally, add the chopped fresh cilantro (this is the ingredient that makes this soup for me!). Allow soup to cook for at least another 10 minutes, then serve. (Optional: serve over brown or white rice or Frito chips, or top with sour cream and/or tortilla chip strips.)

A little work goes a long way with this recipe.

There are a few reasons why having a taco soup recipe in your repertoire is a good thing.

• First of all, it's a crowd-pleaser.
• Secondly, it feeds a lot of people or, if you're not serving a crowd, it will at least feed your family for a couple of days. So it's a good recipe for those busy weeks.
• Thirdly, you can even make it ahead of time and freeze it for those nights that your best laid plans to cook go out the window, or in the case that you've got an out-of-town trip planned (and your spouse doesn't cook) and you don't want your kids eating candy for dinner.
• Also, if you serve the soup without the other tempting but calorie-adding trimmings, you're looking at just around 330 calories for a nice bowl of hot soup for dinner. And the beans and chicken and vegetables pack in a good dose of nutrients, to boot.

So, if you don't have one of these taco soup recipes under your belt already, try this one. I think you'll be glad you did.

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