Chicken Enchilada Soup

   Zingy, warm, sweet, spicy, hearty, and comforting...these are all words that come to mind when I think of this soup. It's one of my most favorite soups for many reasons. One reason, would be that it's great as a pick up if you aren't feeling well. The last time I made it I was struggling with a sinus infection and it cleared out my sinuses and made my throat feel better. Another reason, it's so great, is that it makes a huge pot. It's enough to feed up to 8 people, or enough to make one time, and eat as a prepped meal for the rest of the week. It's one of those meals that actually still tastes just as good a couple days later. Especially, if you have fresh toppings to add in, everyday, when you re-heat it. *There will also be a crock pot preparation version at the bottom of the recipe.  Hope you love it, leave me a comment if you try it out. I'd so love to hear feedback. 

Ingredients:

• 1 can of red enchilada sauce (mild or medium is fine)
• 1 can of black beans
• 1 can of Italian diced tomatoes
• 32 oz of low sodium, organic, chicken broth
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
• a few sprigs of fresh oregano or 1 tsp dried
• 1 packet of Taco Seasoning or for a deeper flavor you can use my own Taco Seasoning mix of about 4-5 tsp. 
• 1 diced red pepper
• 1 diced green pepper
• 1 diced jalapeno (can leave out if you don't want extra heat)
• 1 diced Vidalia onion
• 3 chopped cloves of garlic
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 large cubed sweet potato
• 1/3 cup of rice (I've also used quinoa as a good switch or omitted the rice completely)
• 1 cup of frozen corn 
• 2 boneless chicken breasts
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1 T raw honey
• 3 thinly sliced flour tortillas (they'll be similar to noodles)
• 4 cups of filtered water

*For Toppings you can use: Greek yogurt, sour cream, cheddar cheese, green onions, cotija cheese, tortilla chips, jalapenos, or more fresh cilantro. The soup world is your oyster. 

Directions:

1. Set a large soup pot on the stove top, on a medium heat, with the 2 T olive oil in it to heat up. 
2. Add in the onions and allow them to cook till they are translucent and begin to golden. 
3. Add in garlic, stir, and cook for 1 minute. 
4. Add in 3 cans listed above (tomatoes, beans, and enchilada sauce) as well as the chicken stock, and the taco seasoning. 
5. Place 2 whole chicken breasts into sauce and stock mixture.
6. Add in the cubed sweet potatoes and rice.  
7. Low boil the chicken breasts, potatoes, and rice for about 20 minutes.
8. Stir every few minutes as you see fit. 
9. Remove the 2 chicken breasts and set aside.  
10. Add in the 3 peppers, 2 tsp sea salt, and fresh or dried oregano. 
11. Cut up or shred the cooked chicken breasts and add back into the soup pot. If the chicken isn't completely cooked through, it is still alright to add in the chicken because there is enough time left for it to cook.
12. The soup will look pretty thick, at this point, like the consistency of a stew, so go ahead and add in the filtered water and stir together. 
13.  Add in the T of honey, corn, and cilantro.
14. When everything is well mixed together and bubbly it is done and ready for one last touch.
15. The thinly sliced tortillas are now added at the last minute after turning off the heat. They'll act like noodles and give it that enchilada feel. They can easily be omitted but that's up to you. (Do not add tortillas if using this for meal prep, see note underneath.)

Serve with all the toppings you desire or no toppings is still just as good!

*For meal prepping: portion out soup and keep out the tortilla strips from the soup so they don't fall apart and get overly soggy. Keep the toppings in a little separate container to add in after reheating for freshness. 

*You can freeze the soup for up to 3 months if tightly stored with no air. 

For Crock Pot Version

Instructions:

• Cover the bottom of a large crock pot with olive oil. 
• Add in the cubed sweet potatoes, chopped peppers, onions, and garlic. Mix together with 1 tsp of the taco seasoning. 
• Place the two chicken breasts on top of veggie mix.
• Sprinkle chicken with 1 tsp sea salt and 2 tsp taco seasoning.
• Add in 1 can of tomatoes, 1 can of black beans, and 1 can of enchilada sauce. Also add in the chicken broth, 1 cup of frozen corn, and 2 cups of water.
• Sprinkle the top with the remaining 2 tsp of taco seasoning and the T of honey. 
• Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. The chicken should be falling apart and easy to shred into the soup. 
• I recommend shredding the chicken apart with two large forks in a pulling motion carefully. 
• After the chicken is shredded in the soup add in the fresh herbs and the sliced tortillas at the last minute.

*I don't like to add rice in the crock pot because it can be finicky so I usually omit it when using the crock pot. If you wanted to add it, just add 1/3 cup, under the chicken, with 1 extra cup of water.