Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is a lightened version of the traditional tortilla soup from a reliable source, the whole30recipes instagram account. I love following them; they have a guest blogger each week who share tons of awesome recipes that give me a needed boost in meal planning and ideas to mix things up. The original recipe can be found at https://therealfoodrds.com/chicken-tortilla-less-soup/

Serves about 8

Ingredients:

2.5 lbs chicken breasts

2 TBS butter or ghee

1 medium onion, diced 

1 red bell pepper, diced 

8 cloves garlic (I use the minced from a jar to save time)

1-2 jalapeños (optional! Remove seeds for less heat)

1 TBS + 1 tsp taco seasoning (or to your taste)

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp sea salt

3-4 cups chicken broth 

1 28-oz can fire roasted crushed tomatoes (or diced tomatoes)

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Juice of 1 lime

Toppings: diced avocado, lime wedges, tortilla strips, sliced radishes or jicama, sour cream (or Greek yogurt for a lighter option) 

Directions: 

1. Place large pot over medium heat. Add butter.

2. When butter is melted, place chicken on top in single layer. Cook 5-7 minutes, then flip and cook for another 5-7 minutes.

3. Move chicken breasts to side (can stack them) and add onions, red bell pepper, jalapeños, taco seasoning, cumin and salt. Stir to combine and cook for about 5 minutes until onion and peppers start to soften. Add garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds until fragrant. 

4. Add 3 cups chicken broth [not the full 4 cups!] and crushed tomatoes. Bring soup to a boil, cover and reduce heat.

5. Cook 20 minutes until veggies are tender and chicken is cooked all the way through (I used a cooking thermometer to make sure chicken reaches 165 degrees for food safety)

6. Remove chicken to cutting board and shred/cut into small pieces. Return to pot, and add additional chicken broth until you get desired consistency. 

7. Add cilantro and lime juice. 

8 Serve with additional toppings