The sky opened up to drizzle on our Monday. Bone weary from being at the helm of our home while my husband travels, I wanted nothing more than to curl up with a blanket and watch Gray’s Anatomy. But the to-do list of swim practice, music lessons, and a house begging to be cleaned pushed me to open my heart much like the way I open my door to family and friends with the promise of comfort foods.
Often when I get together with my family, we slice fresh avocados, tomatoes, and dice red onions. I make a big heaping batch to lime chicken to pour on a bed of nachos with all the fixings. But Monday night beckoned something more soul soothing.
With a deep sigh, I ignore the mess despite my nerve endings feeling as they are embedded to the carpet and walls of our home. I make my way to the kitchen with my stomach rumbling.
Isn’t food always what brings us back to the table? Isn’t it the promise of being filled in body that opens our hearts to being filled in spirit? We call it comfort food for a reason…
Nothing is more comforting than warmth in a bowl with a hint of spice. My favorite recipe used to be chicken tortilla soup. But sometimes we opt for meatless Mondays but sometimes we add a batch of diced lime soaked chicken.
My kids like this recipe, mainly because they can take their strips and dip it into the soup. They lick their fingers, smack their lips and suck on the limes.
- 2 Avocados
- 2 (15 ounces) cans crushed or diced tomatoes (I use Rotel--mild flavor)
- 1 (15 ounce) can enchilada sauce
- 1 Medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans (optional)
- 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green Chile peppers (optional)
- 4 Cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon cumin
- 1 Teaspoon chili powder
- 1 Teaspoon pink salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn or fresh corn off the cob.
- 1 Cup chopped cilantro (reduce to 1/2 cup if you aren't a fan of the flavor).
- 2 Limes cut into wedges, and 3 to 4 tablespoons of lime juice
- 32 Ounces veggie broth or stock
- To Serve Right Away
- Add the chopped onions to the pan, cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the chopped green chili peppers and cook for 2-3 minutes more until the onions and peppers have softened.
- Add the garlic and cook for 3 more minutes.
- Add the broth, enchilada sauce, lime juice, tomatoes, beans, corn, cilantro, and salt.
- Increase the heat to high, heat until the soup begins to boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
- 7 corn tortillas
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet.
- Bake until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup and add avocados with lime wedges.
- Combine all ingredients into a Ziploc bag (EXCEPT VEGGIE BROTH and Avocados). Freeze.
- Thaw enough to get out of the bag and put into a slow cooker add 2 cups water and the broth. Cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours or on High for 3 to 4 hours.
