Yummy Chicken Tortilla Soup

If you have been a reader of my blog for a long time, then you may have read about my non-cooking skills before....how I don't know how to grocery shop, and how I can never figure out what to cook for dinner. Well......I have been really trying hard to master these things and now my cooking dinner repertoire has been getting broader!

My new favorite recipe is this Trader Joe's Chicken Tortilla Soup. A recipe that I kinda made up using a bunch of recipes found online. I'm pretty sure that the recipe does exist somewhere out there though. I love it, my kids love it, my baby loves it, and my hubbie loves it. So it's a  winner in my book!

One of the things that i like about this soup is that i can stock all the ingredients up in the pantry, it's super flavorful, and it is low calorie. i may not have mentioned this before, but i have been trying to stick to a diet since the new year. dieting so hard for me because I love soda, and Chick-fil-A, and Del Taco. Pretty much everything bad for me. but i am happy to say that i have only had 1 soda since the new year....big mistake (severe sugar rush)!

Anyways, I started making a pot of this soup every week so that I can have it for lunch everyday during the week. A much better choice than going out. It's super yummy and flavorful, and easy to make. I am down 15 pounds (which hardly shows since I am so tall). I give credit to the soup and no soda! So...are you ready for this EASY recipe?

Trader Joe's Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

• 2 Large cans chicken broth
• 1 or 2 cans black beans (rinsed)
• 1 or 2 cans corn (or equivalent frozen corn)
• 1 tub Trader Joe's Pico de Gallo Salsa
• 1 or 2 cans chunk chicken breast (Found at Trader Joe's...or Costco)

Toppings (You can omit these....but they make it even more yummy!)

• Crushed tortilla chips
• Shredded cheese
• Avocado
• Sour cream

Directions

• Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan on medium heat.
• Bring to a boil.
• Turn down heat and continue cooking till the onions are translucent, and the tomatoes are semi-cooked out.
• Enjoy!

This recipe is super flexible. You can substitute rice for the beans. Add more veggies, take out the chicken to make it vegetarian, and add cheese to the pot. you can prepare and shred your own chicken breasts.....I have tried this, but the canned stuff ends up tasting the same without the labor. You can also use another brand of pico de gallo...I just think the Trader Joe's brand is the perfect consistency and flavor.