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Chicken Soup with Tortilla

Delicious one-pot meal packed with flavor and ready in under an hour. Enjoy as a weeknight dinner or make-ahead meal.
Kid friendly
Tomato-based chicken soup in a large bowl with a side of tortilla strips.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Makes: 12 Cups
Nutrition Facts: View label

Ingredients

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium)
2 cloves garlic, minced or ½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 can (15 ounces) navy beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes with juice
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (see Notes)
1 cup tomato sauce
2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chiles
2 teaspoons oregano
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup shredded cheese
10 corn tortillas

Directions

  1. Wash hands with soap and water.
  2. Rinse or scrub fresh vegetables under running water before preparing.
  3. In a large saucepan on medium heat, add oil and sauté onion until softened. Stir in garlic and cumin.
  4. Add beans, tomatoes and broth. Heat to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer.
  5. Stir in tomato sauce, chiles, oregano and chicken. Simmer 15 minutes.
  6. When ready to serve, stir in cilantro and 1 cup cheese until melted. Serve tortilla strips on the side as soup toppings.
  7. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

Notes

  • Broth can be made at home, purchased in a can or box, or made using bouillon. For each cup of broth use 1 cup very hot water and 1 teaspoon or 1 cube bouillon.
  • Cook your own dry beans. One can (15 ounces) is about 1 ½ to 1 ¾ cups drained beans.
  • To make tortilla strips, stack tortillas and cut in half. Cut each half-stack into thin strips. Spread strips on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F, tossing frequently, for 15 minutes or until crispy and starting to lightly brown.

Comments

I've made this recipe for four grade groups. The first for 1st and 2nd graders: A Big BIG hit! All students asked for seconds! I recently made it again for 3rd and 4th grades and once again almost a 99% "LOVED it" response! One little guy told me, "This is my new pizza!" Now, that's quite a compliment! I use both white and black beans and I use the food processor on 1 or 2 cans of beans, in order to make the soup just a bit thicker.

Susan Sandperl, Myrtle Point Extension

I have made this twice now, and it's always so delicious! And I'm taking a tripled amount of it for a Super Bowl party this Sunday with friends so we'll have something healthy to enjoy along with the tasty but not-so-healthy snacks.

I loved the cilantro flavor and it looked/tasted amazing!

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