Easy chicken taco soup

Spice up your next midweek meal with a taco soup

When you want to switch up your post-work meals, this easy chicken taco soup is a winner.

I love Mexican flavours.

But true Mexican food takes love and time.

The sauces are key to a great dish and the different types of chillies used for the perfect heat or smokiness is an art.

But if you want a quick reminder of those flavours.

Then I think a cheeky little chicken taco soup can hit the spot.

Probably more a nod to Tex-Mex than actual Mexican but either way, it’s an easy dish to mix up the midweek meals.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 white onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
a jalapeño diced or you can bar jars of jalapeno’s
One teaspoon each of ground cumin, chili powder, salt plus more to taste, ground black pepper
1 x 400 g tinned crushed tomatoes
1 x 400 g tinned golden sweet corn, drained
1 x 400 g tinned, black beans, drained and rinsed
6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
3 cups cooked and shredded chicken or 4 chicken breasts to shred
¾ cup chicken stock (if cooking your own chicken)
Taco chips (optional)

Toppings

Sliced jalapeños, sour cream, diced avocado, guacamole, tortilla strip chips, and freshly chopped cilantro for garnish

Make the shredded chicken:

You could cheat here and buy a rotisserie chicken but if like me, you have chicken breast in the freezer then this is how to make shredded chicken.
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan (with a lid) on medium heat and add the chicken. Season the top of the chicken with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, then flip
Add the chicken stock, cover the pan with a lid and cook for 7-10 minutes until cooked through (or until the internal temperature of the chicken is 75 C).
Remove the chicken from the pan and shred the chicken. Use two forks to shred the chicken
If you’d like extra moist chicken, you can add any remaining liquid from the pan to the shredded chicken and toss.

Taco soup

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add the onion and cook until translucent, about 3-5 minutes.
Add the garlic, jalapeño, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper and cook until the garlic becomes fragrant.
Add the crushed tomatoes, corn, beans, and chicken broth. Stir to combine.
Increase to high heat until the soup comes to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat to medium-low and let the soup simmer for 30 minutes.
Stir in the chicken, garnish with crushed taco chips. sliced jalapeños, sour cream, diced avocado, guacamole, tortilla strip chips, and freshly chopped coriander.
Serve.