Southwest Chicken Tortilla Soup

Thanks to my beyond obsession with Pinterest, it was another productive weekend around our household.  Jeff and I spent the majority of the afternoon, on Saturday, going back and forth between Home Depot and Lowe's.  We were on a mission to buy things that we needed, in order to make a plank wall for our entryway by the garage.  Overall, I'd have to say that our project was a big success!  The wall actually turned out better than I had imagined.  I'll be posting pictures later this week, including the link with step by step instructions.

Needless to say, that due to our busy weekend, I didn't have much time to cook.  Therefore, I needed to think of some dinners that would not be very time consuming.  Even though the temperatures were warm around these parts, I felt that soup would be a perfect choice.  I've always loved a good chicken tortilla soup, and know that I've posted a recipe for one before.   However, the recipe that I made this weekend is slightly different, has more of a kick, and includes more ingredients.  This soup was absolutely delicious, and one that I'll definitely be making again.     

Southwest Chicken Tortilla Soup
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Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat elbow pasta, cooked
2 TBSP. extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ yellow onion, chopped
4 cups chicken stock
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (14.5 oz.) crushed tomatoes
1 can (4 oz.) green chiles, hot
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
½ tsp. oregano
Dash of cayenne red pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken breast
1 cup corn kernels
2 TBSP. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 lime, juiced

Garnish Ideas:

Tortilla strips (I used Texas toast, chili lime flavor)
Avocado, diced
Shredded Cheese

Directions:

Set a Dutch oven, or a large stock pot, over a medium heat and add the olive oil.  After allowing the oil to heat for about a minute or so, add in the garlic and onion.  Sauté together until the onions become translucent in appearance.  Add in the chicken stock, tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, green chiles, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and cayenne pepper.  Stir everything together and season with a dash of salt and pepper.  Now, place the cover on the pot and reduce the heat to a gently simmer.  Allow the soup to cook and thicken for around 15-20 minutes.

Once the soup is ready, turn the heat back up and add in the pasta, chicken, corn, cilantro, and lime juice.  Stir all the ingredients together and allow to cook for another 5 minutes or until the soup is warmed to your liking!

 

Place the soup into soup bowls and garnish with some fresh, diced avocados, a little cheese, and some tortilla strips.  Enjoy!

Source: Slightly adapted from Damn Delicious