Healthy Mexican Chicken Soup

My favorite part of roast chicken is making chicken soup with the bones. I still make the traditional soup with carrots and onions when I feel the sniffles coming on, but after the first time I tried a Mexican Chicken soup, this is my go to soup whenever I have homemade chicken stock. This soup is a good way to use up leftovers from chicken and leftovers from Thanksgiving turkey. I’ve taken the classic chicken tortilla soup and omitted the tortillas, upped the veggies substantially. Beans and squash (zucchini) are traditional vegetables of Mexico. This should serve about 4.

Healthy Mexican Chicken Soup
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
3 stalks of celery, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon Mexican oregano
½ teaspoon cumin
4-5 cups of homemade chicken or turkey stock, fat skimmed off
1 14 oz. can fire roasted tomatoes w/ chilis, such as Muir Glen
½ cup prepared salsa
2 small zucchini cut into half moons
1-2 cups of fresh or frozen green beans, cut to 1 inch pieces
1 cup of diced cooked chicken
½ cup cilantro, chopped
1 avocado, ripe but firm, diced

In a heavy bottom soup pot, saute onion, carrot, celery and garlic in a little olive oil until softened and onion is translucent. Add spices and stir fry until spices are more fragrant. Add chicken stock, tomatoes, and salsa and green beans. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes until veggies are tender. Add zucchini, simmer for about 3 minutes, then add chicken and simmer until heated through. Turn off heat and stir in cilantro. Serve topped with avocado, and tobasco.

I serve this over steamed brown rice, topped with avocado and more hot sauce. Good accompanied by fresh green salad, or orange coleslaw.

Variation: this can be made heartier by adding 1 can of drained black beans, and ½ cup of frozen corn together with the green beans. You can make this Mexican seafood soup by a substitution of shrimp stock and seafood for the chicken.

shared at Ultimate Recipe Swap