Chicken tortilla soup incorporates all the signature seasonings and spices of Mexican cuisine, along with tender bites of chicken, plenty of flavorful vegetables and hearty beans, ideally served in steaming bowlfuls topped with creamy avocado and tortilla strips that become soft and silky as they soak into the savory broth. Such an appetizing complexity of flavors and textures can involve a long list of ingredients, but with a few shortcuts, such as using premade seasoning mixes and canned beans, the recipe is simplified without sacrificing flavor.

Total Time: 30 to 40 minutes | Prep Time: 10 minutes | Serves: 6 to 8

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 5 thighs, diced small
  
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 red, yellow or orange bell pepper, diced
• 2 tablespoons, or 1 package, taco seasoning mix
• 1 10-ounce can chopped tomatoes with green chilies
• 1 15-ounce can black, pinto or kidney beans, drained
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 32 ounces chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 4 corn tortillas, sliced into strips
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the vegetable oil, diced chicken, onion and taco seasoning. Cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is opaque and no longer pink.
   
2. Add to the pan the can of tomatoes with the juice, the drained beans, tomato paste, chicken broth and water. Stir, and bring the liquid to a gentle simmer.
3. Simmer the soup for 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Stir the tortilla strips and the leaves picked from a bunch of fresh cilantro into the soup immediately before serving.
5. Ladle the soup into bowls. Over each bowl, squeeze the juice from a lime wedge, and add cubed avocado.