There is something to be said for being smart, looking at your surroundings, obeying that inner voice that often gives a gentle nudge in one direction without being judgmental. It’s usually a good idea to check your sources thoroughly and make carefully thought-out plans.
And then there are those times when it’s perfectly normal to make chicken tortilla soup on a whim from these folks.
And that’s exactly what I did.
I was glancing through Food Network and happened to catch Trisha Yearwood making all kinds of stuff but dressed like Gene Simmons. And even though she was dressed like a deranged mental patient, I couldn’t help but notice how good her recipe looked. I decided right then to make some for lunch.
I had this bag of stuff in the freezer. It is almost identical to the recipe but all I had to do was throw it in a pot. It even had the same spices.
Add some potato starch in place of flour. Let it cook about a minute.
Add some broth and salsa. And in place of cream of whatever (loaded with gluten), I used a brick of cream cheese. There is no such thing as too much cheese.
Add another can of beans because this soup needed some more.
Add chicken.
And remember what I said about cheese?
After it is all warm and bubbly, dish it up with some tortilla chips.
Chicken Tortilla Soup (Gluten-free version)
- 3 tablespoons butter
The following ingredients in GREEN can be substituted by Pictsweet Frozen Corn and Black Beans with onions, tomatoes and peppers in authentic Mexican Seasoning. 1 family size bag is plenty.
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
- One 15-ounce can black beans, drained
- One 15-ounce can whole kernel corn, drained
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- One 1.27-ounce packet fajita or taco seasoning
- 2 tablespoons potato starch
- Three 14-ounce cans chicken broth
- 4 cups half-and-half
- One 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained
- 1 80z block of cream cheese
- 1 cup prepared salsa, mild or spicy
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, boiled, drained and shredded
- One 16-ounce bag tortilla chips
- 8 ounces Monterey Jack, grated
- 8 ounces sharp Cheddar, grated
- 1/2 cup sour cream
1. Melt butter in a large stock pot.
2. Add frozen vegetables (or raw veggies and spices) and saute’ in butter 5 minutes.
3. Add potato starch and stir continuously about a minute until the starch is well combined with the vegetables.
4. Add broth. Still vigorously until all starch is well combined with vegetables. Slowly simmer about 15 minutes.
5. Add salsa, cream cheese, half and half, chicken, and shredded cheeses. Heat through and stir until well combined.
6. Add can of beans, Salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve with chips. Top with more shredded cheese, if desired (and why not??).