Aggie's Kitchen

Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup

This healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup is exactly what you need to get your eating back on track. It’s hearty and full of protein and veggies, perfect for winter!

bowl of soup with chicken and various vegetables topped with sour cream and cilantro

When Micah was about 5 weeks old, I had a bit of a sleep-deprived induced meltdown. There was a lot of crying going on (mostly him, but also a little from me) and not a lot of sleeping  happening (mostly me). Up until then I had honestly forgotten about the being “so tired your brain hurts” feeling that comes with having a new baby. I know that feeling oh so well now.

A good friend of mine was lucky enough to witness my meltdown when she was dropping off my kids from school for me one afternoon. It was one of those days where Micah wasn’t sleeping for more than a few minutes at a time unless he was being held, I still hadn’t showered and dinner was definitely going to be take-out. Add on the fact that we were getting up every couple of hours during the night for several days, I was so exhausted. The thought of my kids getting home from school with lots of energy and homework kinda sent my head spinning. Needless to say, when my friend dropped them off all she had to ask was “how are you doing” for the waterworks to happen.

Sigh. I’m so glad I’m getting a little more sleep now.

bowl of soup with chicken and various vegetables topped with sour cream and cilantro

My dear friend came to my rescue that week. She picked up my kids from school the rest of the week, took them out to dinner one night, and brought us dinner another night. As humbling as it was for me to break down like that, I’m so grateful my friend was there for me when I needed the help the most.

So what does this healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup have to do with any of this? This soup is what my friend Heidi brought us for dinner. You would have thought we hadn’t eaten in daaaays with how excited, thankful and hungry we were when she walked through our door with her pot of soup and all the fixings to go with it. This isn’t her exact recipe, I am still waiting for her to pass it along to me, but I believe it’s close – it tastes just as delicious and hits the spot every time I make it. It is especially comforting after a long day or when I only have enough time to heat up a quick bowl of soup for lunch. I truly love a soup that makes you feel good after eating it, and this is definitely one of those soups. Enjoy!

Here are a few more healthy dinner ideas for you.

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Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup

  • Author: Aggie's Kitchen
  • Category: Chicken
  • Method: Stovetop

This healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup is exactly what you need to get your eating back on track. It’s hearty and full of protein and veggies, perfect for winter!


Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 large bell pepper, diced (I used about 5 mini red, yellow and orange sweet peppers)
  • 1 jalapeno, diced (take out seeds for less heat!)
  • 2 lbs chicken breasts (I used 3 large chicken breasts)
  • 2 15 oz cans fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • 2 15 oz cans black beans, drained (I use Bush’s Black Beans)
  • 1 15 oz can hominy, drained
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 1 carton chicken broth (4 cups)
  • 1 can of water (I like to use the tomato cans to get all the leftover flavor)
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Toppings:
  • shredded cheese
  • plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
  • chopped green onion
  • fresh cilantro
  • diced avocado
  • tortilla chips
  • rice

Instructions

  1. In a large soup pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat and add onions, garlic and peppers. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Saute for a couple of minutes until the veggies start to soften.
  2. Add whole chicken breasts, tomatoes, beans, hominy, corn, chicken broth, water and spices to your pot and bring to a low boil. Reduce to low heat and let simmer for about 30 minutes until chicken breasts are cooked through (test by splitting with two forks).
  3. Once chicken is cooked through, carefully pull chicken breasts out onto a large plate or cutting board. Using two forks, shred the chicken into small pieces and place back into the soup (you can also do this in the pot, that’s what I do).
  4. Cook soup for another 15 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust.
  5. Serve with the toppings of your choice!

Follow Aggie’s Kitchen’s board Soup, Stew and Chili Recipes on Pinterest.

Micah-17Weeks

Looks who’s almost 4 months old! Growing up waaaay too fast!

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28 comments on “Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup”

  1. hahaha…I am not laughing at you..more at myself. I remember having a meltdown JUST like that. Lack of sleep does ridiculous things to a person. Your friend is amazing. Just what the Dr ordered. And this soup? gah! Yum yum!! Shes a keeper 🙂

    • Lack of sleep messes with your head for sure!! It’s crazy how much better you feel after just one good night of sleep!

  2. So funny I was working on a chicken tortilla soup today as well!!! I love that you (Heidi) added hominy – one of my favs!! I’m looking forward to the day that Asher can handle the jalapeño. Until then, there’s cholula. 😉 YUM!!

    • Great minds! I don’t think Heidi’s had hominy, but I had a can in my pantry so I threw it in! My kids don’t tolerate any kind of heat, but the one seeded jalapeno didn’t seem to bother them, though we put a lot of Greek yogurt in the soup to tone it down. Love cholula! 🙂

  3. Oh I can relate to the sleep deprivation a little too much. Your little guy is absolutely adorable though (and that soup looks amazing!) Good thing these babies are totally worth it!

  4. Thank God for good friends polka dot period.

  5. I’m so glad you are getting some more sleep now. I’m terrible if I don’t get enough sleep. I can’t imagine having to also take care of a new baby. You are a rockstar. And I love this soup!

    • I think I jinxed myself when I wrote this lol! I’m not very good on little sleep…thank God for coffee! 🙂

  6. What a little cutie pie. Thanks goodness for great friends and I can’t wait to try this soup!

  7. What a sweet story and wonderful friend! Also SUCH a cutie pie. 🙂

  8. Having friends like that in your life who will love on your babies and bring you meals is such an incredible blessing!!! Tortilla soup is one of my absolute favorites… pinning this to make when Tim’s parents come to town this week. Looks amazing. GREAT photos…. especially of Micah. 🙂

  9. What a great friend! I had a similar experience after I had my baby and I hadn’t cooked anything in over two weeks, because I was so focused on my infant. I was literally eating peanut butter out of the jar whenever I thought enough to eat. My friend and her husband brought us a pork roast dinner with ALL THE FIXINS! You would have thought we were cavemen the way we devoured it.

    This soup looks amazing! I want to try it during our next cold-snap. (that would be the next time the thermometer dips below 75– South Florida) Thanks for posting!

    • ha ha! yes, I was hardly eating more than an egg sandwich those first weeks. I actually made it last week during our “cold snap”, it was perfect!

  10. This soup looks amazing- perfect for this cold, snowy weather!

  11. Love a healthy tortilla soup! It is my favorite! And that little guy is growing so fast. I can’t believe he is 4 months already–so cute!

  12. Aaahhh, memories. I remember the sleep deprived state so well. What a wonderful friend you have! Food brought by others always tastes so good when you are in need and soup is the perfect choice. Looks wonderful!

  13. Aaahhh, memories. I remember the sleep deprived state so well. What a wonderful friend you have! Food brought by others always tastes so good when you are in need and soup is the perfect choice. Looks wonderful! Baby boy is incredibly cute 🙂

  14. Aggie, I vividly remember the first meal brought to me after I became a mom Sonoran Chicken Casserole. The taste was amazing and the thoughtfulness of my neighbor is a gift I’ve paid forward again and again. I love how you’ve paid forward Heidi’s generosity with this wonderful post.
    Thanks!

  15. Thank God for friends! I am glad that you are getting more sleep now. This soup sounds amazing! I bet it was a most welcome dinner for sure.

  16. I like this story, I hope Micah is doing good now!!!
    Recipe is excellent!!!

    I am a chef and have recently started blogging. My website is http://www.saltandtamarind.net/. Thank you for this excellent recipe.

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