This Month's Feature: Chicken Tortilla and Rice Soup by Jenna

This tortilla soup is so delicious. Thank you Jenna for sharing it with me.  Here is what I made for dinner tonight:

 

Ingredients:
(This feeds a crowd!)

2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded
olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 stalks of celery, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

1 can diced tomatoes
1 can black beans

2 cans chicken broth*

1/2 cup corn

1 medium zucchini, diced

1/2 cup cooked rice (basmati, jasmine, or any long grain rice)

1 1/2 tbsp cumin, divided

 salt

 black pepper
chili powder
a pinch of cayenne pepper

tortilla strips (optional)

Directions:

In a large pot, saute the shredded cooked chicken with a little olive oil, the minced garlic, 1 tbsp of the cumin, some salt, black pepper, and chili powder. Cook until chicken is golden.Remove and set aside.

Fry onions and celery in the same pot, adding more oil, until soft and translucent. Add cilantro and stir for a bit. Return the shredded chicken to the pot along with the diced tomatoes and the rest of the spices: 1/2 tbsp cumin, salt, black pepper, cayenne, and chili powder.

Add the zucchini and broth and let boil 10 minutes or until the zucchini is tender.

Add the corn, cooked rice, and beans and let simmer for a few more minutes to absorb the flavors...taste and see if you need any more spices.  Turn off heat and serve topped with tortilla strips (cut a tortilla into thin strips and fry them till crispy with very little oil or you could toast them), grated cheddar cheese, sliced avocado, and sour cream.

*Note: When you reheat the next day, the rice will have absorbed most of the liquid so you will need to add a few more cups of broth.

 

Source: Jenna