Chicken Tortilla Soup

Gluten-Free/Dairy-Free

If I haven’t already mentioned this 47,819 times, one of my favorite things about the cold weather outside is enjoying a hot bowl of soup by the fire, followed by a mug of hot chocolate and wrapped up in a blanket….until the cat tries to drink my hot chocolate and the kids get a whiff of what’s in my mug, discovering it’s not coffee and they want some too.

Most of my favorite soups are cream based, packed with a TON of dairy, and using flour to make a roux as a thickener. This recipe is the exception to the rule, and one of my favorites.

The simplicity of this soup makes it appealing to picky eaters, as long as they don’t mind eating chicken, black beans, and corn. Not only does it have fresh veggies pureed into the soup to give it a hearty texture, it’s also gluten-free and dairy-free for any of your friends and family who are looking for something a little healthier to chow down on.

If you’re wondering why the batch is so big, it’s because this stuff doesn’t last long in my house, and I freeze it in mason jars to pull some out when needed.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 large yellow onions, cut into chunks

3 medium/large poblano peppers, seeded and cut into bite size pieces

3 tablespoons minced garlic

1/2 cup olive oil

2 corn tortillas, torn into pieces

2 (12 oz.) bags frozen corn, thawed

3 (15 oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

3 lbs. cooked chicken, cubed*

4 cups chicken broth

2 cups bone broth

28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Heat olive oil in a stock pot on medium heat. Add onion and poblano peppers, stir occasionally while cooking. When vegetables become tender, add garlic and corn tortillas. Continue cooking for another 2 minutes, then add chicken broth, bone broth, and crushed tomatoes. Cook for about 5 minutes, then use an immersion blender to puree vegetables to desired consistency (I like it to be as smooth as possible to hide the pureed veggies). Stir in chicken, black beans, and corn, continue cooking for another 5-10 minutes. Serve immediately.

*I like to pick up pre-cooked packages of chicken in the refrigerator section of the grocery store and cut them up…OR you can buy cooked rotisserie chicken and pull the meat off the bones for a variety of dark and white chicken. My favorite and preferred method!

Make-Ahead (short term, up to days in refrigerator): If you plan on making this a family-style meal ahead of time, you can store the soup in a large plastic container, or in a slow cooker. If using a large plastic container, reheat in a pot and serve immediately. If using a slow cooker, turn on low for 3-4 hours or high for 1-2 hours, just until hot. Turn setting to low for serving.

Freezer Meal Instructions: Distribute soup evenly among mason jars or other freezer-safe containers. Cool completely, cover, and store in freezer. Thaw before reheating in a pot or microwave-safe soup bowls.

**Take it on the go! Make sure soup is hot, then spoon it into a soup thermos and take it with you or pack in your kids’ lunchbox!**