Low Carb Chicken (tortilla if you want it) Soup

I told you all that I am doing Atkins.  You can read my post here.  One of my favorite meals whether I am dieting or not dieting is chicken tortilla soup.  In fact, you can read a previous recipe I shared for this yummy meal--a thicker, higher carb version than the one I'm about to share. 

Recently I had the chicken tortilla soup at Cafe Rio and fell in love.  It is really brothy, with tons of fresh ingredients.  I get it every time I go.

So, when I wanted to cook a low carb version of chicken tortilla soup, I thought of my favorite order at Cafe Rio.  I have to say, it turned out to be delicious!  If you are looking for a good comfort soup or a good diet recipe, I highly recommend this soup.

First I boiled my three chicken breasts in 2 boxes of chicken stock.  Then I shredded and chopped up the cooked chicken (keep the stock for the soup).
Add 2 cups of water to the stock and bring to a simmer. 
Add some taco seasoning into your soup to taste.  I added very little, because I was wanting a very fresh ingredient taste.
Drop the chicken into the liquid again.
I chopped up a small yellow onion and let it simmer in the soup for a couple of hours.

When you are ready to eat, mix a couple tablespoons of lime juice into your soup.
Spoon some steaming hot soup with the chicken and onion into your bowl.
Put a couple of tablespoons of fresh salsa into your soup in your bowl and stir.
Put 2 generous tablespoons of guacamole into your bowl or add fresh chopped up avocado.
Sprinkle a little Mexican mixture cheese into your soup. (Usually Jack and Cheddar blends)
Chop up fresh cilantro and put it all over your bowl of soup.
If you aren't going low carb, heap some tortilla chip strips on the top of your soup.  I didn't add any, and I still was happy with the soup.

Your kitchen will smell so good, and you will feel full on hot, healthy soup!
My hubby will get some cornbread on the side, and I've had this soup at Rubio's Baja Grill with lots of rice in it.  This won't do for my Atkins friends, but it might be something I add to my husband's bowl to make it more filling.

Enjoy!

Ham Bone Soup (Easter Leftovers)

If you read my past post, you know I hosted Easter this year.  My parents' sweet neighbor came over for Easter too, and he gave us a gift certificate to the Honey Baked Ham store.  They have the yummiest ham!  Needless to say, between brunch and people grabbing leftover bags, the delicious ham was gone quickly.

However, I had a beautiful ham bone sitting in my fridge.  It had some meat still blanketing it, so I grabbed it and decided to create a crock pot soup for dinner.

First, I put my ham bone and 2 boxes of chicken broth in the crock pot.  (I used no fat broth merely because it was on sale AND I knew that ham bone would boil off plenty of fat and marrow into the soup).  The chicken broth didn't quite cover the ham bone, so I added about 2 cups of water. 

I sauteed a chopped, sweet onion in oil and then cut up two slices of bacon and sauteed that with the onion as well.  (What isn't better with a little bacon?)  I added those to the crock pot.

If this soup were just for me, I would add different kinds of beans, but neither my husband or sons enjoy beans at all.  I am a pretty big fan, but I cook so they will eat.  Instead, I kept it very simple.  About an hour before dinner, I added some cubed potato and a whole bunch of dark green Kale.  I thought the sweet onion and ham would be a nice contrast to the more bitter taste of the Kale.

Before I dished up the bowls, I slid the ham meat off of the bone and into the soup.  Then, I topped each bowl with some shredded cheese and cracked pepper.

I wish you could smell my kitchen.  It smells AMAZING!  Next time you have a ham bone--save it and make soup.  This was DELICIOUS!

I linked this post to:

Chicken Tortilla Soup

                

It has been raining in Southern California . . . a lot.  Except for the homeless ants who keep invading my home, I'm not complaining about getting a little weather around here.  I now have a perfect excuse to make soup for many of our meals.  I absolutely love soup--a perfect, warm, comfort food that isn't all that bad for your health.

A couple of years ago, my friend, Lisa H., gave me the easiest recipe EVER for chicken torilla soup.  It is a soup that tastes like you slaved for hours and hours, but really can be made mainly from simple pantry ingredients.  We all love a recipe that is easy to make but tastes complicated!

So, first you gather a bunch of canned goods from your pantry, grab 4 chicken breasts and milk from the fridge, and get out a large soup pot.

Next, boil your chicken in a pot of water while you combine all the ingredients in your soup pot.  Here is what just the liquid looks like before you add the milk--very much like tomato soup.

Now dump in all the ingredients, including your now cooked and shredded chicken, which looks like this:

Heat it all up and put it in a bowl.  I didn't have avocado, cilantro or sour cream on hand, which usually decorate each bowl of soup with yummy deliciousness.  Melted cheese and crushed chips are a must, though.  Any way you eat it, this is a delicious and healthy meal.  Enjoy!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Combine:

1 can of BUSH's black beans, drained

1 can of corn, drained

1 large can of tomato sauce

1 1/2 cup of water or chicken stock (I add a little extra, as I like my soup brothy)

1 packet of enchilada sauce mix (you might want more--I add crushed chili powder to my soup also to make it just a little bit spicier)

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can of cream of chicken soup

2 cups milk

3-4 chicken breasts cooked and shredded

Heat and enjoy

(Top with sour cream, guacamole, avocado, crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheese, onion, or any other garnish that sounds scrumptious).

This yields enough soup for 2 dinners for a family of 4 (8 servings)

I will be linking this post up to Soup a Palooza on February 15th.  Come join Soup-a-Palooza at TidyMom and Dine and Dish sponsored by Bush’s Beans, Hip Hostess, Pillsbury and Westminster Crackers.

I linked this recipe up at:

 

                                                   

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