You may be thinking I’m crazy right now to be making a soup recipe in May. Does this girl even know what time of year it is? But if you’ve ever been to San Francisco from about May to July, then you’d know it’s the season known locally as June Gloom, or what I like to call Second Winter. The Bay Area is full of microclimates, so while it might be warming up for summer just 20 or 30 minutes outside of the city, the fog here in San Francisco has a different idea, and we all get our winter coats out again. Hence, it’s soup season!
Even outside of San Francisco, I think you could have this Chicken Tortilla Soup year round. It’s hearty but still a healthy version filled with vegetables. The best part is it gets thick and creamy by blending all the vegetables together. I’ve never been a huge fan of the traditional brothy soup like chicken noodle. I think they’re just a bit bland and boring. But blend that broth with a bunch of vegetables and spices, and voilà! A creamy, flavorful soup without the cream.
Simply sauté the vegetables together with a host of fragrant spices (seriously, your kitchen will smell so good after making this!). Simmer these with the broth and tomatoes, blend it all up, and the base is done! Then just add in the shredded chicken, corn and black beans.
Finally, the fun part is the toppings! For a dinner party or a fun night for the kids, simply put all the options out in small bowls, and everyone can fix their bowl up however they want.
Whether you’re in Second Winter or just having a cool spring night, this chicken tortilla soup is a fun, flavorful and healthy way to warm up!
Note on Equipment
I recommend using an immersion blender like this one so that you don’t have to transfer hot liquid back and forth to a standard blender. It’s safer and cleaner!
Looking for other blended soups? Try my Irish Vegetable Soup!
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Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 people 1x
Description
A healthy but creamy version of tortilla soup! Served with chicken and your favorite toppings.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 onion (diced)
- 1 large or 2 small carrots (diced)
- 1 celery stalk (diced)
- 1 red bell pepper (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2–3 teaspoons chili powder (depending on desired spice level)
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups cooked chicken breast (shredded (about 2 medium chicken breasts))
- ½ cup frozen corn
- ½ cup canned black beans (drained)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional garnishes: (diced avocado, sliced green onions, cilantro, shredded cheddar or monterey jack cheese, tortilla strips or chips)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, chili powder, coriander, cumin, oregano and paprika and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add the broth and crushed tomatoes, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
- Purée with an immersion blender (or in batches in a standard blender) until soup is smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Add chicken, corn and black beans to the soup and cook over medium high heat until chicken is heated through. Serve soup with desired garnishes on top and enjoy!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Entrées, Meat, Soup
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