The whole thing only takes 25-30 minutes to make, and most of it is hands-off time. You can even adapt it for the slow cooker (see notes in recipe below). Best of all- you can freeze the leftovers for a super easy meal that just needs defrosting on a busy night. The thing that makes this soup extra delicious: a spicy kick from the canned tomatoes with chilis mixed the tangyness of fresh lime juice. I went to the grocery store thinking I would either use a can of Rotel or a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes. I was super excited to find a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes WITH green chilis! Best of both worlds. Not a fan of spicy? Just omit the jalapeno pepper and get regular fire roasted diced tomatoes instead.
And then re-evaluate your life, because spicy food is the best. (juuussssttttt kidding!) Truth be told, I made this soup for one reason, and one reason alone: an unfortunate bag of tortilla chips in which half of its contents were crushed, leaving nothing but tiny pieces. I felt badly throwing the chips out, even though they were unsuitable for salsa dipping. Topping the soup off with them was perfect! Of course, you can make your own fresh tortilla chips by frying strips of corn tortillas in a skillet… which is DELICIOUS. But if you top this soup off with plain ol’ bagged tortilla chips, it will still be delicious AND your life will be much easier. For other fixings: sliced avocado, grated cheese (cheddar or Monterey jack), hot sauce, extra cilantro, sour cream (or Greek yogurt)… the possibilities are endless. And even though they are listed as optional in the recipe below… they really aren’t optional. They’re the best part!
This is a super (or, SOUPer! har har har) thing to pack to take to work or school, especially for kids. Put the fixings in a small container or bag, and assemble them on the soup before eating. A thermos like this one will keep the soup warm for up to 5 hours, which is especially helpful if you don’t have access to a microwave. Recipe below!
