Yummy Mexican Chicken Soup

Why do I say yummy so often? It's my go to word to describe something tasty. 

"This apple is yummy." 

"I call this 'yummy cake'" 

"I think I'll title my post Yummy Mexican Chicken Soup!" 

Okay, anyway, I made this soup last night and it was...well, yummy! I thought I'd share the recipe with you in case you'd want to try something yummy! I promise not to say yummy again. ;)

Here's the scoop:

The Barefoot Contessa's Mexican Chicken Soup

4 chicken breasts, bone in, skin on

Good olive oil

salt and balck pepper

2 cups chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

2 cups chopped carrots

4 large garlic cloves,chopped

2 1/2 quarts chicken stock

1 28oz can whole tomatos in puree, crushed

2 to 4 jalapenos, seeded and minced

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp ground coriander seed

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

6 (6inch) white corn tortillas

Directions: Preheat oven to 350, place chicken on a sheet pan skin side up. Rub with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until done. When chicken is cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones and shred the meat. Cover and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat 3 Tbs of olive oil in a large pot. Add onions, celery, and carrots and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, until onion starts to brown. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes with their puree, jalapenos, cumin, coriander, 1 Tbs salt,  1tsp of black pepper, and cilantro. Cut tortillas in half and then cut them crosswise into 1/2 inch strips and add to soup. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Shred chicken and add to the soup. Serve the soup hot with sliced avocado, sour cream, grated cheese, and broken tortilla chips if desired.

 So I tweaked it just a tad to suit my families tastes. First I cooked the chicken about 20 minutes longer so it was actually cooked all the way. I'm sure the barefoot contessa intended it to be that way. Then I substituted jalapenos for 1 can of green chilies since my kids won't eat it if it's to spicy. I didn't have coriander so I left it out and I used the pacific natural foods organic chicken stock because I think it's yummy delicious and not as salty as other brands. I topped mine with sour cream and avocado and left off the chips and cheese. This meal was sooo filling and really yummy tasty. My kids ate it up and even the hubs ate it without gobs of hot sauce! It was really flavorful and the tortillas, which I was nervous about being mushy, apparently melted and just added a hint of tortilla flavor that was very pleasing. Over all this gets 5 stars from me considering it feeds a crowd, was easy to prepare and, here's the kicker, was only 4 points per serving!! You better believe that this will definitely make for a yummy satisfying lunch tomorrow!