Chicken Tortilla Soup

I'm going to start out saying this turned out so much better than I expected!  I have made 2 soups before that failed miserably.  When I left work Thursday into the chilly air (finally! enough of the 80s in October!) I decided I wanted some soup.  I had a recipe I found on Kraft Foods but it just seemed too plain.  When I was buying tortillas I found a recipe on the back of the package for Chicken Tortilla Soup, but I didn't like that one either.  So I combined them.  It's SO easy to make.  Cutting up the tortillas is the "bad" part, only because its the most time consuming.  Enjoy!

Lauren's Chicken Tortilla Soup


Six 6 inch tortillas (I used flour because I don't like corn as much)
1/2 tsp. oil
1/2 lb chicken breast (1-2 depending on their size, I used the largest one I had)
32 oz. chicken broth
1 cup corn (frozen)
1/2 cup green pepper (you can buy these frozen)
1 packet taco seasoning
1 can black beans
1 cup salsa (I used medium to give it a bit of a kick)
1/2 to 1 1/2 cups water
Cheddar cheese (topping)
Sour Cream (topping)


1.  Boil chicken (if frozen, thaw first) until white in center, about 10 minutes? (I never time this!).


2.  While the chicken is cooking preheat oven to 400.  Cut up 2 tortillas (or 3 if you like a lot of crunchies on top) into strips and coat with 1/2 teaspoon of oil.  Spread out in 1 layer onto a baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 6-8 minutes or until brown.


3.  Chop the rest of the tortillas in to small pieces.  Once chicken is cooked, chop it into bite size pieces.


4.  Add chicken, chopped tortillas, beans, corn, taco seasoning, peppers, salsa and chicken broth to medium pot. Add water, the amount will depend on how much you want to dilute the taco seasoning.


5.  Heat to a boil.  Then reduce heat and simmer for about 10-15 minutes.  Stir every couple minutes so it doesn't stick.


6.  Once cooked, remove from heat and serve (you can also freeze it for later after letting it cool).  Garnish with cheese, sour cream and crunchy tortilla strips.


It's not McAlister's Chicken Tortilla, but it's very tasty and filling!