Whenever October rolls around, I’m ready to transition from outdoor BBQing to soups on the stovetop. The weather doesn’t always agree with that plan, so we often have a hearty, warming, soup… all while the AC is going… the true sign fall has arrived for us, haha….

So when October (or maybe it was the very end of September…) hit, I decided to try my hand at a new soup recipe to kick of soup season. And a chicken tortilla soup sounded pretty tasty. We also love pozole soup (there is this one restaurant in Santa Barbara that makes the best version!)… so added a twist with this recipe and tossed in some hominy… the texture it added to the soup was amazing. We made enough to have leftovers the next day… and can’t wait until we can make it again (maybe Sunday when temps hit 73…)…

Including the easy recipe below in case you’re looking to try it… it was easy enough to make on a weeknight… but you could also meal prep this on a Sunday, defrost it, and then have it mid-week as well. If you end up trying it, I hope you like it!
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CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP

INGREDIENTS

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chilli powder
Rotisserie chicken, or pre-shredded chicken, both work great for a super quick and easy weeknight soup
20 oz crushed tomatoes
32 oz chicken broth 
14 oz black beans, drained and rinsed
14 oz corn, drained and rinsed
14oz hominy (drained)
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped, divided (reserve 1/4 of it for garnish)
1 lime, juiced
1 tsp salt, or to taste

            Homemade Tortilla Strips

1/4 cup olive oil
8 corn tortillas , (6″ tortillas)

Toppings

1 large avocado, diced
1 lime, cut into wedges, to serve
Homemade tortilla strips (or just crushed tortilla chips)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat a pot with oil over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, garlic and chopped jalapeño and sauté until veggies soften.
2. Add shredded chicken, corn, beans, chili powder, cumin, crushed tomatoes, salt, ¼ cup of cilantro and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and let simmer for at least 15-20 minutes. Taste and add salt as needed. Top with avocado, tortilla strips, and lime juice.