Chicken Taco Soup
We can’t get through this fall season without AT LEAST one soup recipe! Soups are the most comforting meals, in my opinion, when chilly weather comes around. Just imagine yourself cuddled up under a warm blanket, watching a cozy movie and eating this Chicken Taco Soup… how perfect does that sound?
This soup is not only great because of it’s delicious mixture of flavors, it is also one of my favorites because it takes minimal work to complete and very little chopping! Most of the work comes from simply waiting for this soup to cook. But, this can be hard too because once you start to smell all the spices and flavors come together, you won’t be able to resist sneaking a taste! And there is nothing wrong with that!
Try this tasty soup this fall and I hope you love it as much as my family and I do!
Time needed:
1 hour - 1.5 hours
Ingredients
1 chicken breast (or 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken)
1 medium yellow onion
Drizzle of oil
1 8.5 oz can corn
1 8.5 oz can black beans
1 8.5 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
1/2 cup dry white rice
1/2 tbsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
About 1.5 tbsp heavy cream
Optional sides/toppings:
Bread
Tortilla chips
Shredded cheese
Sour cream
This recipe feeds:
About 6-8 people
Let’s get cookin’!
Boil your chicken. Start my grabbing a large pot and adding about 3 quarts (or 12 cups) of water. Turn on the stove to medium to high heat and add in a raw chicken breast to boil for about 40 minutes, or until fully cooked. If you are using a rotisserie chicken, simply bring the water to a boil and add your shredded chicken with the the canned vegetables later on.
Start on your rice. Once you have the water boiling, grab a smaller pot and cook a 1/2 cup of white rice according to the instructions on the package. Depending on what brand you use, cooking times may vary. As this cooks, you can work on the rest of the steps.
Sauté an onion! This sounds super fancy if you’ve never done it before, but it is truly very simple. While your chicken is boiling (or plain water if you do not need to cook your chicken), place a small pan on the stove and turn on medium heat with a light drizzle of oil. Roughly chop a medium yellow onion into small pieces and throw onto your pan! You will cook your onions until they turn a golden brown color. And that’s it!
Shred your chicken. If you used a raw chicken breast, once it is fully cooked, it is time to shred! You can either shred it by placing it in a bowl and using a couple of forks to pull it apart. You can also simply chop it with a knife into small bite-sized pieces. Either way will work!
Add in your chicken and onions. After your chicken is shredded and your onion is golden brown, it is time to add in your vegetables! Put your shredded/chopped chicken back into the hot water (or this is where you would add rotisserie chicken) and add your onion as well.
Time for vegetables! For the rest of the canned vegetables, follow these steps! Add the entire can of fire roasted tomatoes, liquid and all. For the corn, drain out the liquid and add in all of the corn. Lastly, for your beans, drain out the liquid and rinse the beans thoroughly until the water is clean. Then, add them into your soup!
Wrap it up with the rest of the ingredients. You are almost done! Once you have added your chicken, onion and canned vegetables, you may add in the rest. First, add your cooked rice and mix it into the soup. Then, add in all of the seasonings listed and the heavy cream. Mix everything together and let it come to a boil.
Taste and adjust. This is when you can taste your soup and add in more seasoning if needed. If you want more spice, add more cayenne pepper. For a more bold flavor, you can add more cumin. If your soup simply does not have enough flavor overall, you may need to add more salt, pepper, and/or chili powder. Add in a little at a time and see what you like best!
Top and enjoy! I like to enjoy this soup in a variety of ways. Sometimes I eat it as is, or other times I will top it with crumbled tortilla chips, shredded cheese, and sour cream! Other times, I like to dip a piece of a baguette in. All options are delicious! Enjoy as you please and feel the warmth and comfort :)