Pioneer Woman's Chicken Tortilla Soup

I absolutely LOVE Chicken Tortilla Soup and am always looking for a good recipe.

Since The Pioneer Woman is already famous for her recipes, when I came across her Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe, I had to try it! As usual, she (Pioneer Woman) did not disappoint! It was delicious, one of the best I've ever had.

I'll be honest, it's not the easiest or quickest recipe. However, it's definitely worth putting the time into it.

I would say that the whole recipe from beginning to end took about 2 hours. The good news is that you'll do a step and then get to leave the pot for a good amount of time. You're not actually cooking the whole 2 hours. Leaving the soup to simmer actually takes up 1.5 hours of your time so it's not so bad.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients -It looks like a lot of ingredients, but it's really not as bad as it looks. :)
2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1-½ teaspoon Cumin
1 teaspoon Chili Powder
½ teaspoons Garlic Powder
½ teaspoons Salt
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 cup Diced Onion
¼ cups Diced Green Bell Pepper
¼ cups Red Bell Pepper
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 can Rotel Tomatoes And Green Chilies
32 ounces, fluid Low Sodium Chicken Stock
3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
4 cups Hot Water
2 cans Black Beans, Drained
3 Tablespoons Cornmeal Or Masa
5 whole Corn Tortillas, Cut Into Uniform Strips Around 2 To 3 Inches***


Garnishes:
Sour Cream
Diced Avocado
Diced Red Onion
Salsa Or Pico De Gallo
Grated Monterey Jack Cheese (I used a cheddar/jack combo)
Cilantro



Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cumin, chili pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil on chicken breasts, then sprinkle a small amount of spice mix on both sides. Set aside the rest of the spice mix.

Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is done. Use two forks to shred chicken. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add onions, red pepper, green pepper, and minced garlic. Stir and begin cooking, then add the rest of the spice mix. Stir to combine, then add shredded chicken and stir.

Pour in Rotel, chicken stock, tomato paste, water, and black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered.



Mix cornmeal with a small amount of water. Pour into the soup, then simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Check seasonings, adding more if needed—add more chili powder if it needs more spice, and be sure not to under salt. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

While soup is simmering, take your corn tortillas and cut them into uniform strips.



Five minutes before serving, gently stir in tortilla strips.
***Personally, after making the soup, my husband and I agreed that we would like the soup better without the tortilla strips added. In the future we would just crumble some tortilla chips on top with the rest of the garnishes.



Ladle into bowls, then top with sour cream, diced red onion, diced avocado, pico de gallo, and grated cheese, if you have it! (The garnishes really make the soup delicious.)



Serves: 6