The Best (Accidental) Tortilla Soup Ever

Who knew?! I fooled around with a random taco soup recipe the other night and the gods smiled upon me, because it's the best I've ever made. I added veggies so it's a complete meal in one pot and I think that the pickled jalapeños + their brine were the secret ingredient, because I've never used them before! I know that everyone hates it when you ramble before the recipe (myself included), so let's get to it!

2 TBSP Olive oil

1 small-med onion, diced

2 large cloves of garlic

2 TBSP diced pickled jalapeños (this is what I would call a well spiced but still relatively mild-med amount of heat)

2 TBSP pickled jalapeño brine (if you're in the midwest, I got the sweet and spicy ones, I know they're not as healthy, but damn it was good).

3 TBSP Tomato Paste

1 14 oz can black beans, rinsed

1 1/2 cups tomato sauce (my brother made some amazing homemade sauce so that's what I used, typically recipes call for canned or fire roasted tomatoes, I say use what you have).

2 large chicken breasts

1/2 head of cauliflower (can omit if you like)

One large bunch of greens, chopped (I had chard so that's what I used, also can be omitted or replaced with another veggie)

64 oz chicken broth (two regular box containers)

2 limes (one juiced, one for garnish)

1 Package taco seasoning

1 TBSP sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 package of corn tortillas

A few TBSP of olive oil for roasting your tortilla strips

Sour cream (for garnish)

Shredded Cheese (for garnish)

Chopped cilantro (for garnish I chopped up about 1/2 a cup, whatever your preference is).

1. On medium heat in a large pot, heat the oil and add the onions to cook down until translucent (about 5 minutes).

2. Add the garlic and chicken breasts and brown the chicken breasts a bit on both sides.

3. Add the chicken broth and bring it to a boil.

4. After boiling, bring it back down to a simmer until the chicken breasts are cooked through (approximately 15-20 minutes).

5. Remove the chicken breasts and allow them to cool before shredding.

6. While the chicken breasts cool, rinse and add your black beans, jalapeños jalapeño brine, tomato paste, sugar, taco seasoning, juice of one lime, veggies and tomatoes/sauce of your choosing.

7. After pulling your chicken breasts, add them back to the pan and let everything simmer for 30 minutes to an hour if you have time. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees during this step.

8. Cut your tortillas into small strips and drizzle with olive oil in a large bowl. Toss and add a little salt and place them in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and crunchy, flipping halfway through. I've found that these turn out amazing every time, and they're a lot lighter than deep frying.

9. That's it! Serve up and top with a bit of shredded cheese, sour cream, cilantro and more lime if you like it (I felt like it didn't need it this time personally).

It's so yummy! Enjoy!