Smoky Chicken Tortilla Soup

Y'all know I love me some mexican food, right?  I mean, I am pretty sure I was meant to be Mexican and not Scottish.  The most well known Scottish delicacy is Haggis.  Do you know what Haggis is?  It's basically boiled sheep guts.  SHEEP. GUTS.  No thank you.  I'll pass.  I'll stick to my Mexican food. 

 So, I am slightly obsessed with Taco Bueno's chicken tortilla soup.  It is so stinkin' good.  I've tried several recipes at home, but they never turn out that great...until now.  I actually combined several recipes to make this one. 

Smoky Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 chicken breasts

Chili powder

Paprika

Cumin

Olive oil

Onion, small – you’ll only need half

Red bell pepper, diced

Minced Garlic

32 oz. chicken broth

Chipotle Chili in adobo sauce

Rotel, 1 can

 3Tbsp. Tomato paste

Cilantro

Can of black beans, rinsed and drained

2 Tbsp. Corn meal

Salt

Sprinkle chicken with chili powder, paprika and cumin.  Heat a skillet over medium heat.  Add olive oil to skillet and brown chicken over medium heat.  Cook about 8-10 minutes per side, just enough to brown and get a slight crust on both sides.

While the chicken is cooking, in a separate large saucepan, add two Tbsp of olive oil and heat on medium low.  Cut your onion into two large slices and put into pan.  Add red bell pepper and garlic.  Cook on low for about 10-15 minutes, until tender. 

In a food processor, put 1 cup of chicken broth, cooked bell pepper, garlic and onion mixture, half of Rotel, tomato paste, small chili pepper (from can) and a large handful of cilantro.  Puree.  

I just used my shake blender.  Add the puree back into the soup.  Add the rest of the Rotel, one whole chipotle pepper and the remainder of the chicken broth. 

Take cooked chicken and let cool.  Shred with a fork and put into soup. 

Add black beans.  Put Corn meal into a small bowl and add enough water to dissolve corn meal – maybe 3 Tbsp of water.  Add to soup mixture.  Simmer for 25-30 minutes.  Add salt to taste.

Serve warm with cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips or whatever toppings you prefer. 

Yum! Now, try not to eat the entire pot of soup. Good luck with that.

Have a great weekend!