Winter is definitely not at the top of my “favorite season” list. I’ll admit that I enjoy a great snow day once in a while but the gloomy days can carve away at my generally cheerful outlook. I was always taught to count my blessings and oh my goodness there are many. One of the blessings of winter is that soup is always welcome at the dinner table. Most soups are easy enough to prepare and for some reason they cure winter time blues and warm the soul. I like to use this season to add new soups to the recipe box. That is the beauty of soup……there are literally hundreds to try.
Soup and winter go together like peanut butter and jelly. If you take a glance at the calendar you will be reminded that we don’t have that far to go until spring. Hurry up and get your soup on! Enjoy!
Cheesy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Makes 8 servings
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (1.12 oz.) package fajita seasoning mix
4 tablespoons butter
½ medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
¼ cup all-purpose flour
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes
½ cup salsa
6 ounces processed cheese such as Velveeta®
1 ½ cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 cup heavy cream
Tortilla chips for garnish
Heat oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until chicken is almost done. Sprinkle fajita seasoning over chicken and continue to cook until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet. When cool enough to handle, chop into bite-size pieces.
Add butter to skillet. Add onions, carrots and celery, Cook until tender, about 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour until mixture is blended well. Slowly add chicken broth and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes and salsa; blend well. Stir in processed cheese and shredded Mexican cheese. Cook, stirring constantly until cheese is melted. Add heavy cream and chicken. Allow soup to heat through but do not boil. Serve immediately with crushed chips on top.
Leave a Reply