Spicy Mexican Tomato-Chicken Soup

 Summer. Fresh Tomatoes. Spice. Tired of Grillin'. 

What can you do?

Spicy Mexican Tomato-Chicken Soup

 Let's Try It!

A Few Tomatoes                                                              Tomato-Chicken Soup

              EQUALS

Get out your Calphalon, your Cuisinart food processor and your Williams-Sonoma soup bowls.

We like spicey! For this recipe, I have increased the tomatoes, increased and substituted Clamato Juice for some of the tomato juice, increased the cumin and red pepper, added additional green onions, cilantro, avocados and doubled the queso fresco. To simplify and reduce time, I used store bought tortilla strips.

Follow this link for the original recipe Mexican Tomato Soup, courtesy Southern Living Magazine (July 2012).

Ingredients (serves 4-6):

•   1 tablespoons canola oil, divided
•   3 medium tomatoes, cored and halved
•   1 onion, chopped
•   2 garlic cloves or 2 tbsp. store bought chopped garlic
•   1 (32-oz.) container reduced-sodium fat-free chicken broth
•   3 cups low-sodium tomato juice or (1 1/2 cups tomato juice & 1 1/2 cups Clamato)
•   1 bay leaf
•   1/2 tsp. ground cumin
•   1/4 tsp. ground coriander
•   1 tsp. ground red pepper
•   1 1/2 pounds skinned and boned chicken breasts, cut approx into 1 inch pieces
•   4 green onions, thinly sliced 
•   1/2 cup fresh lime juice, about 3 limes
•   1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro or to taste
•   1 cup crumbled queso fresco (fresh Mexican cheese) or to taste
•   2 medium avocados, chopped 
•   Bag tortilla strips of your choice

Let's Go:

1. Heat a nonstick skillet over high heat 2 minutes. Add tomato halves and cook, turning occasionally to char sides, approximately 10 minutes. (Tomatoes may stick.) Transfer to a food processor.

2. Sauté onion in 1 Tbsp. hot oil in skillet over medium heat( the tomato skillet works just fine & one less pan to wash) 3 to 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and sauté 2 minutes or until fragrant.

3. Transfer onion mixture to food processor with tomatoes and process until almost smooth.

4. Transfer and cook tomato mixture in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in broth and tomato(Clamato) juice. Add bay leaf and next 3 ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, partially covered and stirring occasionally, 20 minutes.
5. Add chicken and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes or until chicken is done.
6. Discard bay leaf. Stir in green onions and next 2 ingredients. Season with salt and pepper.

To Serve:

1. Divide queso fresco among 4 to 6 soup bowls and top with tortilla strips.
2. Ladle soup into bowls and top with avocado. (optional: extra chopped green onions, chopped cilantro or tortilla strips, to taste)
3. Enjoy!