Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

Find more wonderful skinnified recipes from Nancy over at Skinny Kitchen.

Tortilla soup is a big hit in many households these days. Have a look at this simple recipe where you

This homemade Mexican-style chicken soup is so rich in intriguing flavors, vibrant in color and full of tantalizing aromas that will fill your kitchen. Often you’ll find a base recipe that includes the combination of chicken broth, tomatoes, onion, garlic and fried tortillas. There are dozens of variations to choose from after that. I’ve added cooked chicken along with fiber rich black beans and hominy for texture. You can easily adjust the recipe to meet your tastes. The skinny for 1 cup, 180 calories, 4 grams of fat and 4 Weight Watchers SmartPoints. This recipe’s always a huge hit with everyone. It’s so hearty and satisfying it can also be served as the main course.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients for Soup:

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

2½ cups chopped onion

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

2 (6-inch) corn tortillas, chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 1½ teaspoons chili powder, 1½ teaspoon cumin,  1½ teaspoon garlic powder and black pepper, to taste (See shopping tips below!)

6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (I like Swanson broth.)

1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes

1 (14 oz) can yellow hominy, drained and rinsed or corn

1 (14 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups cooked chopped chicken

Juice of 1 lime

Ingredients for Topping: optional

1¼ cups reduced-fat tortilla chips, crushed

Instructions

1. In a large non-stick pot, add olive oil, onions and garlic. Sauté for 1 minute.

2. Add chopped tortillas, tomato paste, smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and black pepper, to taste. Sauté for 2 minutes.

3. Stir in chicken broth and tomatoes. Bring up to a boil, turn down heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

4. Add hominy, beans, chicken and fresh squeezed lime juice. Mix well. Cook 10 minutes more.

5. Top with some crushed tortilla chips, if desired.

Makes 10 cups or 5 main-course servings (2 cups each)

Food Facts
Tortilla soup is so popular. You see it served in many restaurants. It’s so versatile. There are dozens of ways to make it. Tortilla soup originated in Mexico.

Hominy is yellow or white corn that has its hull removed mechanically or by soaking in lime.

Health Benefits
Black beans are digested slowly and can suppress your appetite for hours. They’re packed with fiber, iron, B vitamins and folate.

Rinsing canned beans and hominy before adding to soups greatly reduces the sodium content.

Shopping Tips
I love the flavor of smoked paprika. It smells like BBQ and really enhances the smoky flavor of this soup. You’ll find it in most supermarkets in the spice aisle. You can use regular paprika in place of the smoked kind.

At a wine event on the Central Coast of California, I discovered the most amazing spice company called  Spice of Life. They sell many fabulous blends of delicious, all natural spices. In this recipe, I used their Southwestern Mesquite. It gives this soup a rich, wonderful flavor. Use 4 teaspoons in this recipe to replace the blend I included. Visit their website to order some or see where they sell their line of spices at www.PasoSpices.com. You won’t be disappointed. And, they’re super nice people, too.

Serving Tips
If you want to create a soup and salad meal, serve this soup with Skinny Guacamole  Salad Sticks.
Make this a main-course meal by serving 1 cup of soup with my Oh Boy It’s Taco Night recipe. Another main course idea is to start with a 2 cup serving of soup and add chopped avocado, tomato, shredded reduced-fat cheese and chopped cilantro on the side. Let everybody customize their own bowl.

Weight Watchers SmartPoints 4
Weight Watchers POINTS PLUS 4
Weight Watchers (old points) 3

SKINNY FACTS: for 1 cup (not including tortilla chips on top)
180 calories, 4g fat, 1g sat.fat, 56mg chol, 21g protein, 17g carbs, 4g fiber, 584mg sodium, 3g sugar

FAT FACTS: for 1 cup Baja Fresh Chicken Tortilla Soup
320 calories, 14g fat, 17g protein, 29g carbs,4g fiber, 2760mg sodium