Ingredients

The following ingredients have 9 Servings
  • 6 chicken breast halves (cooked and diced )
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, (chopped)
  • 1 red bell pepper (chopped)
  • 1/2-1 jalapeno pepper (seeded and finely chopped)
  • 1 tablespoon garlic (chopped)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon ground smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried ground cumin
  • 64 ounces chicken broth
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 (16-ounce) jar salsa (I use mild)
  • 1 (11-ounce) can whole corn (drained)
  • 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans (drained and rinsed)
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
  • 1 cup Monterrey jack cheese (shredded)
  • tortilla chips (coarsely chopped)

Instruction

  • In a medium pot, add chicken (6) and cover with 1 inch of water. Add 1 tablespoon of salt. On medium-high heat, bring water to a boil. Remove from heat and cover tightly for 30 minutes or until there's no longer any pink in chicken. Remove chicken from pot, let stand until cool enough to handle, then dice.  
  • Sautee onion (1), red pepper (1), and jalapeno (1/2-1) in a large pot until very soft. Add garlic (1) and saute for 2 minutes. Add salt (1/2 teaspoon), black pepper (1/4 teaspoon), chili powder (1 tablespoon), oregano (1 tablespoon), smoked paprika (1 teaspoon), and cumin (1 teaspoon). Saute for about 1 minute. 
  • Add all the rest of the ingredients except for the chicken. Simmer on medium-low heat for 1 1/2 hours to allow all the flavors to develop. Add water, as needed, to the soup if it gets too thick.
  • Add chicken and heat through. Garnish soup with cilantro, tortilla chips, and cheese. This soup is even better if made and refrigerated a day ahead of serving.  
  • If you are in a hurry, don't worry about the simmer time. The soup is still wonderful if you heat everything through after you saute the veggies. I like the long simmer because I like the canned veggies to soften and the flavors to really merge.