Chicken Tortilla Soup

Tortilla soup is something that I love, but was not sure my 3-year old would eat.  I shouldn't have worried.  Both times I've made this simple recipe from Wheat Belly she has eaten her entire bowl full and loved it!  I served it with jicama sticks this last time and you should see how many of those she can eat as well!

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
3-4 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped (or less depending on your taste)
salt and pepper
2 avocados
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 tablespoons sour cream

Bring the broth to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat; keep warm.  Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the chicken and garlic and cook until the chicken is nicely browned, 5-6 minutes.

Add the cooked chicken, onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, and jalapenos to the stock.  Return the broth to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle the soup into shallow bowls.  Top each bowl with avocado, cheese, cilantro, and sour cream.

My Take:  Love this recipe!  Couple things I do different though.  Since I keep a bag of frozen chicken tenderloins on hand I prep them like this:

Place the the frozen tenderloins on a foil lined baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil (I give them a good rub to make sure they get a light coating) and sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper.  Broil in the oven for 7 minutes.  Turn them over, sprinkle the other side with garlic salt and pepper and broil another 7 minutes.  You are now ready to dice them up and add to the soup (or anything else that calls for cubed chicken for that matter!)

I also added hardly any jalapeno, since Joey and Jenna can't handle anything too spicy.  I keep my bowl free of sour cream, but don't skimp on the avocado, cheese, and cilantro - they really make this soup outstanding!