Easy weeknight dinners are a must at my house.  I need dinners that will feed my family and keep their tummies happy.  And hey if I get leftovers out of the deal...well even better.  This is why I love an easy and quick soup!   One pot meals are the best because clean up is easy and let's face it, no one has energy for a bunch of dishes on a weeknight!  My recipe for the best chicken tortilla soup is going to become one of your favorite go-to soups all year long!

This is one of those soups that is hearty enough during the winter months, but light enough for a warmer summer day too!   It is also perfect if you are having a Cinco de Mayo party and want to feed a crowd without breaking a sweat!  I love that this recipe is delicious enough for entertaining, but simple enough to whip up after a long day at the office or just a long day with your kids!  

You can make it in advance and have it to eat on all week long, so it is perfect for any type of meal prepping that you might be doing too!  It's such a healthy soup with ingredients that are great for your body, and unless you add tons of sour cream and cheese (which I am totally not judging you if that's the route you want to go), it's low in fat and high in protein!

This soup is so full of flavor that you would never guess that it could be made in less than 30 minutes!  I can't wait for you to give this soup a try for yourself and see just how delicious it really is!

Ingredients:

• 8 Cups Chicken Broth

• 1, 8 oz. Can Diced Tomatoes

• 1, 8 oz. Can Stewed Tomatoes

• 1 Large Can Fire Roasted and Chopped Green Chiles (regular green chiles will work here too)

• 1, 15 oz. Can Black Beans

• 1 1/2 Cups of Frozen Corn

• 2-3 Jalapeños, diced (can sub poblanos for less heat)

• 1 Large Onion, finely diced

• 4 Garlic Cloves, minced

• 1 Rotisserie Chicken Shredded

• 3 Tbsp. Cumin

• 1 Bay Leaf

• 1/2 Tsp. Cayenne Pepper (more if you like extra heat)

• Juice of One Lime

• 1 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• Salt and Pepper to taste

Toppings-

• Fresh Cilantro

• Grated Monterey Jack Cheese (optional)

• Diced Avocado

• Squeeze of fresh lime

• Tortilla Strips (Slice corn tortillas into thin strips, place onto a cookie sheet sprayed with nonstick spray and then spray a light coat on the top of the strips and then sprinkle with chili powder and salt, bake at 325 for about 10 minutes until browned lightly and are crispy.)

Directions:

• Heat a pan to med-high heat and sauté onion and garlic with salt and pepper in olive oil about two minutes.

• Add jalapeños and continue to sauté another couple of minutes until veggies are tender.

• Add in can of green chiles along with the cumin, bay leaf, and cayenne and cook another 3-4 minutes.

• Add all of the cans of tomatoes and season again with salt and pepper and cook a few minutes to flavor the tomatoes well.

• Add chicken stock, black beans, corn, lime juice, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer about 15 minutes.

• Lastly, add chicken and simmer for at least 30 minutes, but the longer it simmers, the more flavorful it will be!

• Top with cilantro, avocado, cheese, extra lime and a few tortilla strips and serve immediately!