March Recipe of the Month: Soylicious™ Chicken Tortilla Soup
March is that time between winter and spring where we still have some unexpected cold blasts and many blustery, rainy days. It’s the perfect month for one of my favorite comfort foods, Chicken Tortilla Soup!
I grew up in a family of eight, so I’ve never been great at cooking in moderation.
With a stay-at-home mom, cooking usually was a day-long event with “slow cooking” being a standard that pre-dated crock-pots. My mom’s kitchen was the place I learned to cut up a chicken; while cutting the price of the meal in half.
Working outside the home as a young mother, I still loved and prepared home-made meals for the family. Cooking like my mom was a weekend luxury, and I learned some short-cuts for cooking during the week.
Chicken Tortilla Soup can be prepared in a number of ways; all of them delicious.
The rich combination of flavors and textures in this soup and the aroma coming from the kitchen always makes me smile! Soylicious™ Chicken Tortilla Soup recipes include black soybeans, a complete protein, which boosts the nutritional value of the soup. The chicken is actually optional.
My family recipe for tortilla soup (from scratch) is a bit labor intensive. Pick the recipe that works best for you. Options are always good! They all freeze well.
| All-Day From Scratch | Cut to the Chase Home-Made | Vegetarian Delight |
|---|---|---|
| Benefits: Cuts costs per serving and produces multiple meals | Benefits: Cuts the prep time in half (at least). | Benefits: With black soybeans, this version is packed with protein without the meat. |
| The leftover broth can be frozen and used for the next batch of soup! This cuts prep time for your next pot. | Soup will be more expensive per serving, but is still a wonderful home-made treat. | Roasted corn is a great edition to this recipe. Yum! Check out the nutritional profile of this recipe. |
One ingredient that makes the nutritional quality of this soup unique is the black soybeans. You may wonder, does the type of bean I put in my soup really matter? You be the judge.
Black Soybeans (½ cup) = 240
Black Beans (½ cup) = 331
Total Carbohydrates: Black Soybeans = 16g. Black Beans = 60.5g
While both beans have no cholesterol, are low in saturated fat and high in protein, black soybeans are higher in calcium, lower in sugars, higher in total healthy fats, and lower in total carbohydrates.
But enough talking, let’s get to the three tasty recipes you have to choose from this month!
Soylicious™ Chicken Tortilla Soup (From Scratch)
See the “cut to the chase” and vegan recipe versions below.
Prep Time: All Day (with some nap time)
Serves: 10-15
Ingredients
Spice Mix:
Mix spice mix together and set aside.
3 teaspoons chilli powder
3 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder or granulated garlic
1 teaspoon salt (I use kosher)
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne red pepper
Vegetable Mix:
1 ½ cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped yellow bell or other sweet pepper
1 minced garlic clove
Chicken Broth:
Chicken pieces
3 bay leaves
1 minced garlic
2 Tablespoons minced onion
½ teaspoon chopped parsley
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon cumin
Other Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
Pam spray olive oil or vegetable oil (can use olive oil from bottle as well)
1 10-ounce can Rotel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles
4-5 Tablespoons tomato paste
3 cups cooked black soybeans
6 Tablespoons of cornmeal mixed in 2/3 cup of cold water
10 small corn tortillas, sliced in 2- 3- inch strips
DIRECTIONS
Getting Ready:
A bit of dicing but worth the effort!
I recommend prepping your ingredients the day ahead if possible.
Pre-Cook and freeze soybeans (can also be cooked the day before or the day you make the soup).
If frozen, thaw soybeans in the refrigerator or in the microwave (according to directions).
Chop onion, garlic and bell peppers.
Mix spices.
Slice tortilla strips,
STEP 1: Use a tall soup pot to make this amazing chicken broth. (Great for ALL soups. I make it ahead and keep in my freezer)
Place 2 gallons of water in a LARGE pot (Broken down, this is: 32 cups or 8 quarts of water).
Cut the 2 breasts from the chicken and place in the refrigerator until use.
Cut leg quarters and wings off of the chicken and freeze for future use (you get another meal from this chicken: 2 legs, 2 thighs, and 2 wings). If you have a minute, go ahead and season these chicken pieces with dry BBQ rub or another favorite seasoning before you freeze them.
Place the remaining chicken pieces in the pot of water and turn stove to medium-high heat.
Add additional chicken broth ingredients from the list above.
Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover loosely with a lid, and let simmer for 4-6 hours.
After simmering for 4-6 hours, remove chicken from pot and set aside.
Turn off heat and let broth cool for 20-30 minutes with lid off.
Skim top of broth to remove chicken fat with a ladle. Use kitchen utensils to remove any bones remaining in the broth.
Return to low heat, cover with a lid, and let broth simmer for up to 2 hours (while you are getting the other ingredients ready). Add water as needed.
STEP 2: Preparing your yummy chicken!
Quality control requires testing by the chef!
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Spray cookie sheet with vegetable spray.
Slice the two chicken breasts lengthwise (I do this right on the cookie sheet)
Spray top of chicken with vegetable spray.
Sprinkle top of chicken slices with spice mix (leave 2 Tablespoons for the vegetable mix)
Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
Slice chicken into bite-size chunks.
STEP 3: Getting the veggies ready.
Spray large skillet or pot with vegetable oil, or add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet/pot and heat briefly over medium-high heat.
Add the vegetable mix (without the garlic) and cook on stove top for about 8 minutes, until the vegetables are beginning to get tender.
Add minced garlic and sauté for another minute.
Stir in 2 tablespoons of the spice mix, stir well, then add the Rotel, juice and all.
Stir well and turn off the heat, allowing mixture to simmer for a couple of minutes.
STEP 4: The grand finale. Combining these wonderful ingredients!
So close now!
Get your ingredients lined up to throw them together in your amazing broth.
Add baked chicken, tomato paste, black soybeans, cornmeal/water mixture, and cooked vegetables into the pot of chicken broth.
Cover loosely with a lid, and let the soup simmer in the pot for 20-30 minutes.
Add the tortilla strips, turn off the heat, stir once, and cover to let soup simmer for 10 minutes.
GARNISH with a buffet of options.
Chopped purple onion
Grated dairy or vegan cheese
Chopped avocado
Baked tortilla strips* (from the tortillas you have leftover)
*See directions below for baked tortilla strips.
ENJOY!
Nutrition per serving. ( 2 cup Serving size)
Calories 394/Protein 29.8g/Carbohydrates 39.3g/Dietary Fiber 5.5g/Total Sugars 5.8g/Total Fat 13.6g/Saturated Fat 2g/Sodium 99mg/Cholesterol 24mg/Iron 8mg.
Baked Tortilla Strips
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Ingredients:
Corn Tortillas, cut into 2–3-inch x ½ inch strips
Olive or other vegetable oil spray
Directions: Cook for 5 minutes, shake pan and cook two more minutes.
Be careful! They can burn quickly at this point, so check every minute until done.
Remove from oven when strips are beginning to brown on the bottom. Sprinkle with salt and toss with spatula.
Serve on top of soup when cooled. Store in an air-tight container.
Soylicious™ “Cut to the Chase” Chicken Tortilla Soup (From Scratch)
Prep Time: 2 ½ hours
Serves: 10-15
Ingredients
Spice Mix: Mix together and set aside:
Same as “Scratch” Recipe
Vegetable Mix:
1 ½ cups chopped, frozen onion (from the store)
3 cups chopped, frozen green, yellow and red bell peppers (from the store)
1 minced garlic clove
Chicken Broth (from a store with a little help from the seasoning below):
4 quarts, low-sodium chicken broth
3 bay leaves
½ teaspoon chopped parsley
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon cumin
Other Ingredients:
Purchase and cut up the breasts from a roasted chicken -or- use Popeyes' Blackened Tenders (a non-battered, non-breaded version of their chicken tenders covered in blackened seasoning).
1 10-ounce can Rotel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles
4-5 Tablespoons tomato paste
3 cups cooked black soybeans
6 Tablespoons of cornmeal mixed in 2/3 cup of cold water
Baked corn tortilla strips (from the store)
DIRECTIONS:
Getting Ready:
I recommend prepping your ingredients the day ahead if possible.
Pre-Cook and freeze soybeans (can also be cooked the day before or the day you make the soup).
If frozen, thaw soybeans in the refrigerator or in the microwave (according to directions).
Chop onion, garlic and bell peppers.
Mix spices.
Slice tortilla strips.
Cut chicken into cubes.
STEP 1: Use a tall soup pot & sauté vegetable.
Spray large pot with vegetable oil, or add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pot and heat briefly over medium-high heat.
Add the vegetable mix (without the garlic) and cook on stove top for about 8 minutes, until the vegetables are beginning to get tender.
Add minced garlic and sauté for another minute.
Stir in the spice mix, stir well, then add Rotel, juice and all.
Stir well and turn off the heat, allowing mixture to simmer for a couple of minutes.
STEP 2: Add your broth, chicken and remaining ingredients.
Get your ingredients lined up to throw in with your veggies, including:
Broth
Chicken
Tomato paste
Black soybeans and
Cornmeal and water mixture
Cover loosely with a lid and simmer soup for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the tortilla strips, turn off the heat, stir once, and cover to let them simmer for 10 minutes.
GARNISH with a buffet of options.
Soylicious™ Vegetarian Chicken Tortilla Soup
Roasted corn is a great addition to this hearty soup.
Prep Time: 2 ½ hours
Serves: 10
Ingredients
Spice Mix: Mix together and set aside:
Same as “Scratch” Recipe
Vegetable Mix:
Same as “Scratch” Recipe
Vegetable Broth (from a store with a little help from the seasoning below):
4 quarts, low-sodium vegetable broth
3 bay leaves
½ teaspoon chopped parsley
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon cumin
Other Ingredients:
1 10-ounce can Rotel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles
4-5 Tablespoons tomato paste
3 cups cooked black soybeans
16-ounce bag - frozen roasted corn
6 Tablespoons of cornmeal mixed in 2/3 cup of cold water
10 small corn tortillas, sliced in 2- 3- inch strips
DIRECTIONS:
Getting Ready:
I recommend prepping your ingredients the day ahead if possible.
Pre-Cook and freeze soybeans (can also be cooked the day before or the day you make the soup).
If frozen, thaw soybeans in the refrigerator or in the microwave (according to directions).
Chop onion, garlic and bell peppers.
Mix spices.
Slice tortilla strips.
STEP 1: Use a tall soup pot & sauté vegetable.
Spray large pot with vegetable oil, or add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pot and heat briefly over medium-high heat.
Add the vegetable mix (without the garlic) and cook on stove top for about 8 minutes, until the vegetables are beginning to get tender.
Add minced garlic and sauté for another minute.
Stir in the spice mix, stir well, then add Rotel, juice and all.
Stir well and turn off the heat, allowing mixture to simmer for a couple of minutes.
STEP 2: Add vegetable broth and remaining ingredients.
Get your ingredients lined up to throw in with your veggies, including:
Broth
Tomato paste
Black soybeans and roasted corn
Cornmeal and water mixture
Cover loosely with a lid and simmer soup for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the tortilla strips, turn off the heat, stir once, and cover to let them simmer for 10 minutes.
GARNISH with a buffet of options. ENJOY! : - )
IF any is left, refrigerate and eat within 3-4 days or freeze leftovers for a nutritious future meal.