Chicken Tortilla-less Soup

Grab a spoon and some avocados… This hearty Chicken Tortilla-less Soup will have you coming back for seconds!

Soup is life

End of post. Kidding. 

You know I can’t stop there. Give me something food-related to talk about and I can go on for hours (ask Stacie – she’s witnessed this more times than she can probably count). But, seeing as it’s Sunday and I need to get in the kitchen for a weekly meal prep sesh, I’m just gonna hit the highlights and say that I freaking love soup.

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Soup is my go-to breakfast most days of the week and right now I’m totally crushing on this Chicken Tortilla-less Soup. But it’s also great for lunch and dinner. I just happen to like my soup before noon because it’s a great way to get in a bunch of veggies and healing bone broth with very little sugar (just what’s naturally occurring in the veggies). Because the last thing I want is mid-morning cravings and a sugar crash. Ain’t nobody got time for sugar crashing. 

Do you know what else I love?

Cast iron. I’m totally obsessed with cast iron (again). I learned to cook in cast iron from my dad and did so for many years until I was seduced by a set of fancy stainless steel pots and pans the hubby got me for an anniversary gift. I gave them a try for a couple of years then admitted that I hated them. The heat seemed uneven, the lids weren’t tight-fitting, everything seemed to stick and it was impossible to get a good sear on anything. So I pulled out the old cast iron and seasoned it back up and thus my love affair with cast iron was rekindled and those pans went up on Craigslist.

So when our friends at Lodge Manufacturing, makers of all things cast iron here in the U.S., reached out and asked if I’d be interested in sharing a recipe using one of their enameled Dutch ovens I was stoked. As much as I love me some good ol’ fashioned cast iron, I really love enameled cast iron for its easy care and gorgeousness. This 4.6-qt. enameled Dutch oven with a lid just begged for a saucy and slightly spicy soup and thus this Chicken Tortilla-less Soup came to be.

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Let's Get Cookin'

Chicken Tortilla-less Soup

A hearty soup with the flavors of your favorite Mexican dishes. We’ve kept it Whole30-compliant by leaving out the traditional tortilla strips but if you’re missing that little crunch on top, we suggest adding thinly sliced radishes or jicama

• Author: The Real Food Dietitians
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins
• Total Time: 50 mins
• Yield: Serves 6 1x
• Cuisine: Whole30, Paleo, Dairy-Free

Print Recipe

★★★★★ 5 from 4 reviews

Ingredients

• 1 ½ lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 Tbsp. ghee
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 small red bell pepper, diced
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 4-ounce can diced green chiles
• 1 small jalapeno, minced (and membranes removed for less heat)
• 2 Tbsp. taco seasoning (such as our Homemade Whole30 Taco Seasoning)
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. salt
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or homemade broth)
• 1 28-ounce can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes (may substitute diced tomatoes)
• ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• Juice of 1 lime
• Diced avocado and lime wedges for serving

Instructions

Stovetop Directions:

1. Place a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add ghee.
2. When ghee is melted, nestle chicken breasts into the bottom of the Dutch oven in a single layer. Cook 5-7 minutes then flip and cook an additional 5-7 minutes.
3. Push chicken breasts to the side (stacking them is okay), add onions, red peppers, jalapenos, taco seasoning, cumin, and salt. Stir to combine and cook for 5 minutes or until onion and peppers start to soften. Add garlic and diced green chiles and cook an additional 30-60 seconds or until fragrant.
4. Add 3 cups broth and crushed tomatoes. Bring soup just to a boil then cover and reduce heat to simmer.
5. Cook 20 minutes until vegetables are tender and chicken breasts are cooked through.
6. Remove chicken to a cutting board and allow it to cool before shredding with two forks. Add additional broth, if needed, to reach desired consistency.
7. Return shredded chicken to pot and stir. Add cilantro and lime juice.
8. Serve with diced avocado and lime wedges.

Instant Pot Directions:

1. Select ‘Saute’ on Instant Pot. When the pot is hot, add ghee. Saute the onions and bell pepper 3-4 minutes or until they start to soften. Press ‘Cancel’ and stir in garlic, green chiles, and jalapeno (if using).
2. Add chicken, taco seasoning, cumin, salt, broth, and diced tomatoes. Set cook time for 15 minutes (high pressure) and flip vent valve to the ‘Sealing’ position.
3. After cooking time is up, allow for 5 minutes of natural pressure release before manually releasing any remaining pressure then remove lid when safe to do so. Stir in lime juice.
4. Serve with fresh cilantro, avocado, and lime wedges.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 2 cups
• Calories: 223
• Sugar: 8g
• Sodium: 582mg
• Fat: 6g
• Carbohydrates: 19g
• Fiber: 4g
• Protein: 25g

What’s your favorite soup to make? Are you a cast iron cooking newbie or an old pro? Share in the comments below and let’s get the convo started!

All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish this recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words and link back to the source recipe here on The Real Food Dietitians. Thank you!

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