Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Tortilla soup has always been a favorite to eat, but I’d never made it myself! Leading up to Cinco de Mayo, I tried out a few new Tex Mex recipes, including this one for spicy chicken tortilla soup. It was love at first bite – very easy to toss together, super colorful, somewhat healthy, and has amazing flavor with all of the peppers and spices.

I slightly adapted the original recipe, excluding hominy and adding some corn and crispy tortilla strips. Side note: to make crispy tortilla strips to top your soup, simply slice a few corn tortillas into strips, put them on a lined baking sheet, and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, flipping once halfway through. Super simple and adds a nice texture when you dig in.

Enjoy!

Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:
2 cups chicken, shredded or chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced (with or without seeds)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 poblano pepper, roasted and diced
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp salt
8 cups chicken broth (2 quarts)
1 4-oz can diced green chilies
1 15-oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 bag frozen corn
1 14-oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
4 corn tortillas, cut into strips (plus more if making crispy strips)
Juice of 2 limes
Shredded monterey jack cheese, optional for serving
Chopped cilantro, optional for serving
Sour cream, optional for serving

Yield: Serves 6-8

Directions:
First, roast the poblano pepper over a burner on a gas range stove or under the broiler. You want the pepper to be very dark and charred— almost black. Set aside on a plate to cool then dice. (you can either leave or remove the seeds)

Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a large pot. Once hot, add the diced onion and jalapeno and cook for five minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and diced poblano pepper and cook for another minute. Add the chili powder, cumin, and coriander and mix until well combined.

Pour in the chicken stock and add the tomatoes, corn, black beans, green chilies, chicken, and salt. Bring to a boil.

Finally, add the regular tortilla strips and lime juice and cook until tortillas soften. Serve with chopped cilantro and shredded cheese, plus crispy tortilla strips and sour cream if wanted.

Source: Slightly adapted from Eat Live Run

Santa Fe Corn Chowder

My husband was recently in Africa for about two weeks and while I missed him like crazy and wished I could’ve gone too, it was a good opportunity to make some dishes that aren’t up his alley! (like these soups!)

This soup is called Santa Fe Corn Chowder and ironically enough, I’ll be visiting New Mexico for the first time in less than a week! The corn and pepper combo is delicious and of course, cheddar cheese makes everything better. The touch of creaminess makes for a mighty tasty and hearty soup that anyone from Santa Fe (or elsewhere) would love.

Santa Fe Corn Chowder

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup finely chopped bell peppers
1 whole small onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp flour whisked into 1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cup chicken or vegetablev stock
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
2 cans (15.25 oz each) sweet corn, drained
1/2 cup milk
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Dash of salt and pepper

For garnish:
Sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Sour cream
Chives or Green Onions, chopped

Serves 4-6

Directions:
Melt butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add bell peppers and onion and saute gently until they begin to soften and onion begins to turn transparent, about 3 minutes. Add flour/water mixture and stock, stirring to combine. Increase heat to medium-high and cook until liquids begin to boil gently. Add cumin, chili powder, corn, and half-and-half. Cook until soup again comes to a low boil.

Using an immersion blender, puree the chowder slightly, just until no large pieces remain. (The goal is to break down large pieces of corn and pepper, but not to reduce it to a completely smooth puree.) Remove the immersion blender and add cheese, stirring to combine. Continue heating until cheese melts, about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve immediately, garnished with extra cheese, sour cream, and chives.

Source: Slightly adapted from Inquiring Chef

Cauliflower and White Cheddar Soup

Why am I craving soup in the summertime? I have no idea, but am going for it!

Cheesy, creamy soups are one of my downfalls. Yes, this has cauliflower and other healthy things in it, but ultimately, it’s not the most waistline friendly soup around. But hey, it’s a good way to get folks to eat their vegetables, right?

Roasted cauliflower and garlic mixes beautifully with white cheddar cheese – the sharpness really balances with the hearty vegetables to create a delicious and filling soup. I’ll certainly be making this again when the weather better agrees!

Cauliflower and White Cheddar Soup

Ingredients:
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets
4 whole, peeled garlic cloves
3 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped or dried
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 1/2 cups white cheddar, shredded
1 cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Yield: 4-6 servings

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Toss the cauliflower florets and whole garlic cloves in two tablespoons of olive oil along with the salt and pepper and arrange them in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Roast the cauliflower until lightly golden brown, about 20-30 minutes.

Heat 1 Tbsp of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and saute until fragrant, about a minute. Add the broth, cauliflower, and roasted garlic and bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Puree the soup until it reaches your desired consistency with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender. (be careful with the blender lid since it’s hot!)

Mix in the cheese, let it melt and season with salt and pepper. Mix in the milk and remove from heat. Garnish as desired and serve while hot. Enjoy!

Source: AnnArbor.com

Cucumber Salad with Lemon and Dill

Have you ever thrown something together on a whim, trying to clean out some items in your fridge, and it turns out a lot better than expected? This is one of those dishes – what a nice surprise it was!

I had a cucumber, some radishes,onion, carrot, and lemon that needed to be used so I grabbed a few sprigs of fresh dill from the garden and tossed it all together with a little oil and white wine vinegar and poof – a tasty cucumber salad was born. It is light, healthy, and tastes a bit like pickles and is an easy side dish to pair with a sandwich or simply eat on it’s own!

Cucumber Salad with Lemon and Dill

Ingredients:
1 cucumber, sliced
4 radishes, sliced
1/4 red onion, diced
1 carrot, shredded
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp white wine vinegar
Fresh dill, minced
Dash of salt and pepper

Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine. Refrigerate until ready to eat.

Source: A Beckster Original

Mango Pico de Gallo

I never used to be a big lover of pico de gallo, but now I’m a huge fan. It’s such a delicious healthy addition to any meal. The traditional style is great, but this mango version is perfect for the summer with it’s fresh fruity flavor. Pile it on top of a taco or simply scoop it up with tortilla chips and you’re in for a tasty treat!

Mango Pico de Gallo

Ingredients:
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1/4 red onion, diced
1 small jalapeño, deseeded and minced
2 mangos, chopped
Juice from one lime
Cilantro
Dash of salt

Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined. Add additional salt or cilantro to your liking. Refrigerate until ready to serve and enjoy!

Source: Slightly adapted from A Zesty Bite

Zuppa di Gnocchi e Pesto

I know we’re past soup season, but this recipe is too tasty to set aside till fall! You know that a soup is good when it’s requested by your husband in advance for future times of sickness! This Italian soup is hearty without being heavy and the roasted onion and garlic adds some amazing flavor. When topped with diced tomatoes, it tastes like bruschetta in soup form! YUM!

PS: Happy Birthday to my mom!

Zuppa di Gnocchi e Pesto

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 yellow onion, quartered
8 cloves garlic, in skins
1 Tbsp olive oil
Pinch of salt and pepper
2 cartons chicken broth, 32 oz each
1/2 jar pesto sauce (8 oz jar)
1 package gnocchi, 16 oz
2 whole roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Place chicken breasts in a roasting pan. Break apart quartered onion and scatter around and on top of chicken breasts. Toss the garlic, skins and all, around the chicken. The garlic will not flavor the chicken at this point. You are merely roasting them and will add them to the broth in a bit. Drizzle olive oil on the chicken. Add some salt and pepper and roast for 35-45 minutes or until the center is white and no longer pink.

Once cooked, allow the chicken to cool so that it can be shredded. Scoop out the roasted onion and garlic to use in the broth. While the chicken is cooling, pour the chicken broth into a food processor or blender along with the onions and roasted garlic (skins removed after roasting of course) and half of the pesto. Pulse until there are no large chunks of garlic left. The roasted garlic will give the soup a velvety feel in your mouth. Definitely don’t skip this step. It’s so worth it!

After shredding the chicken, mix in the rest of the pesto. Stir well and set aside.

In a large pot, bring the broth/garlic/pesto mixture to a boil. Add the gnocchi and cook according to the package directions. In soup bowls, place a pile of chicken in the center. Ladle the hot broth over the chicken and garnish with chopped tomatoes. Enjoy!

Source: Slightly adapted from The Coupon Goddess

Creamy Red Potato Soup

Don’t you just love those meals that you toss together with whatever you happen to have on hand or are trying to use up? This is one of those meals and I love that it turned out so well! You can completely customize this soup with whatever herbs or vegetables you have at home. Or, add in some chicken, ground turkey, or sausage if you want to add some extra protein. If you like spicy foods, like me, you can add some sriracha sauce to give it more of a kick!

This is a hearty meal that’s perfect to eat in the winter and great to sop up with some crusty bread. It’s nice and chunky with the sliced potato…I called it creamy soup because of the cream added, not because it’s smooth, but if you want to blend it you definitely could!

Creamy Red Potato Soup

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup celery, finely chopped
2/3 cup carrot, finely chopped
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 (14 oz) cans of vegetable stock
1/2 tsp dried dill
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
16-20 small red potatoes, washed and sliced
1 cup heavy cream
A few dashes sriracha sauce (optional)

Yield: 6-8 bowls

Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large pot and add the celery, carrot, onion, and garlic. Let it cook for at least 5 minutes, until the onions become translucent. Add the vegetable stock, herbs, salt, pepper, and potatoes and allow the soup to simmer for at least an hour. Add the cream and sriracha (optional) and simmer for at least another hour. Add more salt, pepper, and herbs to taste if desired. (or more sriracha if you like it really spicy!) Serve soup while hot and enjoy!

Source: A Beckster Original