Chicken Tortilla Soup with Rice

After a successful fiesta shower... we had leftovers!

Leftover chicken fajita meat with onions and peppers, left over avocados, cilantro and Mexican rice.  What to do? I created my own soup! It turned out delish.  Here’s what I did.

Chicken tortilla soup with rice

2 cups fajita meat (chicken)

2 cups cooked and prepared Mexican rice

2 small cloves garlic minced

1/4 jalapeño pepped seeded and diced

2 bags frozen onion and red and green peppers fire roasted (Trader Joe’s)

2 Tbs olive oil

8 cups chicken stock

2 Tbs tomato paste

Salt to taste

1 tsp cumin

1 packet taco seasoning

Garnish with:

Cilantro

Lime

Crushed tortilla chips

Sour cream 

guacamole (find my recipe in a previous post)

In a soup pot, heat the oil, minced garlic and jalapeño  until heated, add the cooked fajita meat and two bags of veggies.  Stir til heated. Add chicken stock, tomato paste, cumin and salt (if needed) and bring to simmer. Once simmered, add taco seasoning.  Heat as desired and return to low heat to serve.  Place in bowls, crunch tortillas atop, add a dollop of guacamole, sour cream and add cilantro to garnish. Finish with juice from one lime wedge!

It’s family and neighbor approved.

Enjoy!

The Easiest and Best Chicken ( or beef) enchilada soup

Ok...so this is not my pic... I never have time to take one... but next time I will...but, imagine this soup in a vintage fiesta bowl...cause that is how it would look at my house!

This recipe can be adapted various ways. You can make it with beef broth ( and ground beef) or Chicken Broth! You can make it in a crockpot to come home to something warm, or in 20 min on the stove... as easy or as complicated gourmet as you like
I will lay out my recipe and write adaptions next to the ingredients you can switch out!

my family enjoys this down the the last ladle full!
here goes

Yesterday I made it Chicken Enchilada

1 48oz box of Chicken Broth ( organic if you like) or 2 small broth cans ... can use beef here...could use bullion if you have it.
1 can white or other type corn ( undrained)
1 can Rotell or other type of diced tomatoes with green chilis ... you could chop your own of both
1 can black beans drained and rinsed ...you can add any other type of bean here
1 1/2 packages of taco seasoning ... any type works or you can figure out the spices and make your own
Chicken I used one large "can" of chicken but ... you could use precooked strips cut in pieces or fresh or beef or chorizo too

optional...if you have time at the start you can saute in a dollop of EVOO ( so rachael ray) 1 onion and potatoes diced. and several cloves of garlic ... this is nice for a hardier soup ... I tend to toss just about everything but the kitchen sink in

NOW... dump all of the top 5 ingredients into a sturdy pot, I have a dutch oven type pot... or now would be the crock pot time
if you have not yet cooked the chicken ...now is the time BEFORE adding it to your soup then add the cooked chicken ( or other meat) Season to taste... let it simmer for 20 min on low or until bubbly and steaming hot... stirring whenever you pass the stove.
serve with
tortilla chips
fresh cilantro chopped
lime
sour cream
cheese ( I like cheddar... but you can use any you like)

If you have the ingredients on hand ( which is easy because you can keep them all in your cupboard) this makes for a WONDERFULLY good soup that your family, friends and neighbors will LOVE!

serves 6

Yet another suggestion... if you have tacos and by any chance have any extra.. of fajitas...toss that in to the pot!
ENJOY!