I recently asked my friend Stephanie about doing a guest post, and something for the upcoming Super Bowl seemed appropriate, since we’re both football fans. Even if we’re not pro-football fans. Thanks for writing, Stephanie!

Like Chelsea, I am a HUGE fan of Oregon Duck football (would she really have let me guest write if I weren’t!?), but when it comes to the NFL…I’m just not into it. Every February, however, even those who don’t watch a single football game the rest of the year gather around to watch the best…well…commercials of the year. Food is the glue that holds these gatherings together, so when Chelsea asked for Super Bowl recipes, I figured, “If the Super Bowl is for people who don’t watch football, there should be a Super Bowl recipe for people who don’t cook”.
Get ready to encounter the easiest, most crowd-pleasing soup you’ve ever made. Can you grill chicken on a Foreman? Can you chop veggies? Can you….and this is a tough one…open up a can? Then you can make this soup – and you can make it yours. This recipe is great for a big group. You can make it 4-5 hours before, or start it up just before the guests arrive. You can choose the level of spice based on the products you buy, and adjust it on an individual basis for those with different tastes. Yup, it makes a pretty SOUP-er bowl for big gatherings. AH-haha.
Ok let’s get down to it. The recipe I’ll be describing is a 1/4 of a recipe meant for 12 – I’ll give the whole thing at the bottom.
First, cook up 1/2lb of chicken on the grill, and cut into bite-sized pieces.
Next, chop up ¼ of a yellow onion and brown in 1 Tbs of oil on the stove.
Add chicken, salt, pepper, and garlic powder (to taste – about 1/4 tsp) and comingle for 30 seconds.  Next, if you’re making it early, whip out your mom’s 1975 wedding-present crock pot. No? Just me? Alright well I suppose any old crock pot will do….*sigh*
Toss in 7.5 ozs canned diced tomatoes with green chiles, ½ a small can of diced green chiles (add more, or choose “hot” to give it extra kick), ¼ cup picante sauce (again – choose your own spice level!), 7.5 ozs black beans, 7.5ozs whole kernel sweet corn (both drained).
*I usually serve this as a meal, so I boost the protein by doubling the chicken and black beans!*
Add 1 Tbs of Cumin and 1 Tbs of fresh lime juice. Mix in chicken and onions.
Add 12ozs chicken broth and simmer. If you’re rocking the crock – leave it alone for the next 4-5 hours…check on it after about 2 to make sure you have enough broth. If you’re on the stove, set the heat to simmer and give it 1-2 hours, again, monitoring the amount of broth so that it doesn’t get too thick.
About 30 minutes before serving, add ½ cup crushed tortilla chips and ¼ cup sour cream.
And while you’ve got some time – why not whip up some homemade tortilla chips for the garnish?
Preheat the oven to 350. Take a plain tortilla, mix some oil and lemon juice and brush over one side of the tortilla. (Use a lighter oil like veggie or canola – the extra fat in olive oil takes away from the crispiness). Cut the pieces like you would a pizza, spread on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper, chili powder, and cumin.
Bake for 7-9 minutes, pull them out and wow your guests with your mad homemade prowess!
When the soup is ready, garnish with tortilla chips, a dollop of sour cream, avocado and cheddar cheese (optional). Add more sour cream and cheese to soften the spice for those who prefer a little less zip.
Tortilla Soup with Homemade Chips
Recipe for 3-4
1/4 yellow onion
1 Tbs oil
½ lb boneless chicken breast, cooked
12-20ozs chicken broth
7.5 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies
½ can diced green chilies
7.5ozs black beans, drained and rinsed
7.5ozs whole kernel sweet corn, drained
1 Tbs cumin
1 Tbs lime juice
½ cup crushed tortilla chips
¼ cup sour cream (or more if you like a denser soup)
+ sour cream, chips, avocado & cheese for garnish
 
For 12
1 yellow onion, diced
3 Tbs oil
2 lbs boneless chicken breast, cooked
1 – 3lb box chicken broth
2- 15 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies
2 can diced green chilies
2 – 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
2- 15oz can whole kernel sweet corn, drained
4 Tbs cumin
4 Tbs (1/4 cup) lime juice
2 cups crushed tortilla chips
¾ cup sour cream (or more if you like a denser soup)
When all is said and done it costs about $2.55 a bowl – with extra chicken and beans :). Enjoy!
252 calories, 4.4g fat, 375 mg cholesterol, 1,255 mg sodium, 40.5 carbs, 7.8g fiber, 5.8g sugar, 20.2g protein