This homemade Mexican-style chicken soup is so rich in intriguing flavors, vibrant in color and full of tantalizing aromas that fill your kitchen!  It’s usually made by combining chicken broth, tomatoes, onion, garlic and fried tortillas.  There are dozens of variations to add after that. I’ve added cooked chicken along with fiber rich black beans and hominy for texture.  In addition, I used a fabulous blend of spices from a company on the Central Coast (see shopping tip) to make this classic soup, the best I’ve ever tasted!  The skinny for 1 cup, 180 calories, 4 grams of fat and 4 Weight Watchers POINTS PLUS.  One cup of Baja Fresh’s chicken tortilla soup has 320 calories and 14 grams of fat. This recipe’s always a huge hit with everyone.  It’s so hearty, satisfying and can be served as the main course too!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients for Soup:

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

2½ cups chopped onion

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

2 (6-inch) corn tortillas, chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

4 teaspoons Spice of Life “Southwestern Mesquite” spices or make my blend of spices, see shopping tips below

6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, I like Swanson’s

1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes

1 (14 oz) can yellow hominy, drained and rinsed

1 (14 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups cooked chopped chicken

Juice of 1 lime

Ingredients for Topping:

1¼ cups reduced-fat tortilla chips, crushed

Instructions

1. In a large nonstick pot, add olive oil, onions and garlic. Sauté for 1 minute.

2. Add chopped tortillas, tomato paste, and Southwestern mesquite seasonings or my blend (see shopping tip) and sauté for 2 minutes.

3. Stir in chicken broth and tomatoes.  Bring up to a boil, turn down heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

4. Add hominy, beans, chicken and fresh squeezed lime juice.  Mix well.  Cook 10 minutes more.

Makes 10 cups or 5 main-course servings (2 cups each)

Food Facts
Tortilla soup is so popular. You see it served in a variety of restaurants. It’s so versatile with dozens of ways to make.  It originated in Mexico.

Hominy is yellow or white corn that has its hull removed mechanically or by soaking in lime.

Health Benefits
Black beans are digested slowly and can suppress your appetite for hours.  They’re packed with fiber, iron, B vitamins and folate.

Rinsing canned beans and hominy before adding to soups greatly reduces the sodium content.

Shopping Tips
At a wine event on the Central Coast of California, I discovered the most amazing spice company called  Spice of Life.  They sell many fabulous blends of the most delicious, all natural spices. In this recipe, I used their “Southwestern Mesquite.”  It gives this soup a rich, wonderful flavor. Visit their website to order some or see where they sell their line of spices at www.PasoSpices.com. You won’t be disappointed!  And, they’re super nice people too!

***If you don’t want to use Spice of Life’s blend, you can make your own with this combination of spices: 3 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1½ teaspoons chili powder, 1½ teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon garlic powder and black pepper, to taste.  If you desire more heat, add ⅛ teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne).

Serving Tips
Make this a main-course meal by serving 1 cup of soup with my recipe, Oh Boy It’s Taco Night.   Another main course idea is to start with a 2 cup serving of soup and add chopped avocado, tomato, shredded reduced-fat cheese and chopped cilantro on the side. Let everybody customize their own bowl.

Weight Watchers (old points) 3
Weight Watchers POINTS PLUS 4