AT THE WATER’S EDGE:

It is now mid-April — well into spring.  Yet, all week we have dealt with cold 30-40 degree weather and rain.  It’s been dreary, to say the least, and I’ve been more than a bit cranky as I wonder aloud why spring has not yet arrived.  I was trying to decide what to make for dinner on Thursday night, and by the time I got home from work I had determined that it had to be soup.  A nice warm bowl of delicious, hearty soup would surely warm my spirit on a cold April day.  I had some chicken in the refrigerator that I had to use up or freeze, so I decided I’d make something with that.  I had this vague idea of making “Chicken Tortilla” soup, but I didn’t really know what that entailed — and since this was a last-minute meal, I had not gone shopping for any special ingredients.  I decided to peruse AllRecipes.com for some general direction, then raid my pantry to see what I could throw together.  This was the result.


Ingredients:

– 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
– 1 can of black beans
– 1 can of enchilada sauce
– 1 small onion, diced
– 8oz salsa*
– Chicken broth
– Seasonings to taste: salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, paprika
– 1 Tbsp. olive oil


Directions:
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat, and add chicken and spices to taste.  Cook until chicken is no longer pink in the center.  Add chicken to a stock pot, along with beans, enchilada sauce, salsa, and onion.  Add enough broth to make it soupy — use your own discretion.  I ended up adding a little bit of flour, too, to thicken it up.  Season with additional spices, if desired.  Serve topped with shredded cheese and tortilla chips.


*For the salsa, I used some homemade salsa that I had leftover from a couple of weeks ago.  A friend gave me this recipe — it is SO easy and SO good!!


I thought it turned out great, especially for a “see what’s in the pantry and try to make something of it” sort of meal.  The cheese and tortilla chips are a must, in my opinion 🙂  I think I’ll be making this one again — it was very simple and quick to make!  To make it even easier, just get a rotisserie chicken, shred that, and add some extra seasoning when you make the soup.