Southwestern Chicken Soup with Black Beans and Corn

It was cool and cloudy outside which is the perfect weather for making soup. I had some leftover roasted chicken to use up so I decided to make a Southwestern flavored chicken soup. I threw in some black beans, leftover corn (from my neighbor Jack's garden), diced tomatoes, and some seasonings. This soup was quick and simple to make and tasted great. I topped each bowl of soup with some baked corn tortilla strips and a little cotija cheese.

Southwestern Chicken Soup with Black Beans and Corn:

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
• 4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 7-8 cups of chicken broth
• 1 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained a bit
• 2 cups of shredded roasted chicken
• 1 1/2 cups of fresh corn (frozen is fine too)
• Handful of cilantro, chopped
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• Corn tortilla strips, topping
• Cotija cheese, topping

Add the olive oil to a Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and sauté for 4-5 minutes or until soft; add the minced garlic, cumin, coriander, and oregano then cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, drained black beans, diced tomatoes, corn, and chicken to the pot. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Simmer for 15-30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Take a few corn tortillas and spray them with olive oil cooking spray on both side. Cut into small strips and place on a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper if you like. Bake until golden brown on both sides, about 5-7 minutes.

Add fresh chopped cilantro to the soup then ladle into bowls. Top the soup with the crispy tortilla strips and a little cotija cheese. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net