Recipe: Enchilada Soup with Avocado

My wife Kim is a great resource when it comes to cooking (My idea is to pull out the AMEX and order.) She keeps it a goal to always have one huge pot of soup in the fridge. So here is one of my favorites.

Enchilada Soup with Avocado

Serves: 8

Prep Time: 55 minutes

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
• 8 corn tortillas, divided
• 8 portions chicken breast (about 2 lbs)
• 1 can (15 oz) pureed tomatoes
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 6 cups fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups of water
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 bay leaves
• Ground red pepper, to taste
• 3/4 cup reduced-fat cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced

Directions

1. Warm olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cilantro; saute for 3 minutes. Chop 4 of the tortillas into approximately 1-inch squares and add to pot; saute until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. While tortillas are cooking, slice chicken into bite-size pieces. Add chicken, pureed tomatoes, onions, chicken broth, water, tomato paste, cumin, chili powder and bay leaves; bring to a boil over high heat.
3. Reduce heat to low, add ground red pepper and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. While the soup is simmering, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Using scissors, cut the remaining tortillas into approximately 1/4″ wide strips, and place on baking sheet in a single layer. Bake until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. (They will crisp as they cool.)
5. After the soup has simmered for 30 minutes, remove the bay leaves. Then ladle a portion (about 1 1/2 cups) of soup into a bowl and top with the shredded cheese, diced avocado and tortilla strips.

This recipe comes from the cookbook “Eating for Life” by Bill Phillips. Tons more in this book I will share over time, but the book provides excellent pictures and sells for $35.