Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

4 cups chicken broth

3 boneless chicken breasts

1 onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 Jalapeno, minced

2 cans black beans

1 large zucchini

1 can diced tomatos

cilantro (optional)

lime juice (optional)

1 T cumin

1 T chili powder

1/4 t red pepper

Instructions

Step by step recipe guide for maximum time efficiency:

-Start by heating chicken broth

-Sear chicken in a skillet with salt and pepper

-While the chicken is searing, cut everything: onion, jalapeno, zucchini, and press garlic

-Sautee (around 5 minutes) onion, garlic and jalapeno in the bottom of a large soup pot with several tablespoons of olive oil in the bottom of pot

-While that is sautéing, open up all the cans and measure out the spices

-Then add everything and bring to a boil. (I clean up the kitchen right here) After 20 minutes remove chicken breasts and shred with 2 forks pulling in opposite directions.

-Return shredded chicken to pot and simmer for 45 minutes (i've simmered this for up to 2 hours before and it only gets better).

We usually add a lot of seasoning after it cooks...maybe more red pepper if you want it spicier. I almost always add some type of salt or seasoning salt...maybe pepper, garlic powder, more cumin. Have fun experimenting. Also this makes a very big pot of soup...you may have a hard time fitting everything in your soup pot, if that is the case, don’t add all the broth.