Chicken Tortilla Soup in the Instant Pot

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Busy weeknight?  I've gotcha!

Some nights I get home and cooking is the last thing I want to do after a long hard day at work.  We are all busy these days, running around doing errands, and a million other things that our days are full.  Getting a dinner that's healthy and tasty on the table just isn't always the easiest thing to do on weeknights.

I have a wonderful solution to that...the INSTANT POT!  This gadget is going to be your new best friend.  If you haven't gotten one yet, let me tell you it has enhanced my life so much in the last year, that it's becoming one of my most used appliances to date.  This is the one I use, and it works perfectly for me.  

The Instant Pot is the perfect tool to make soup, and on a weeknight soup and salad is just what the doctor ordered.  In 30 minutes you will have a filling and healthy dinner on the table!  The Instant Pot not only cooks your food faster it also concentrates the flavors, which makes for very delicious meals!

Bursting with Latin flavors, this healthy soup is one that you won't feel guilty about eating seconds!  The soup has tender pieces of chicken, corn, black beans, tomatoes, onion, and Latin spices to create a mouthwatering soup.  

So get yourself an Instant Pot and enjoy the freedom of cooking with a pressure cooker.  The dishes you can make are truly outstanding, just like this soup!

Enjoy!

Chicken Tortilla Soup in the Instant Pot

serves 6

1 Tablespoon of olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, finely diced 

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast

1 quart chicken broth, low sodium 

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed 

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes, with their juice

1 cup corn, frozen or fresh 

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 lime

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped 

Turn on your instant pot to saute and allow to heat.  Add olive oil and heat for 1 minute.  Add onion and bell pepper and cook until softened slightly, about 3 minutes. 

Add the remaining ingredients except the limes and the cilantro.  Cover the pot with the lid and set the dial to pressure.  Press the manual button and set the time to 10 minutes.  When it has finished do a quick release.

Remove the chicken from the pot and shred.  Replace chicken in the pot.  Turn off Instant Pot.

Squeeze in the juice of the lime and stir in the cilantro.  Serve.

Instant Pot: Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

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Have you jumped on the Instant Pot train?

I recently got an Instant Pot for Christmas and have been using it more and more as I find recipes.  I haven't posted any recipes for it because a lot of the dishes I made were good, but not outstanding enough to go on my blog.  Until today.  

I was under the weather recently with a really nasty cold and I was craving some chicken soup.  Not the canned stuff but some really hearty homemade soup.  To tell you the truth I didn't have the strength to stand around and make homemade soup so while I was vegetating on the couch I looked up some recipes to make soup in the Instant Pot.  Having the method down, which is really easy by the way, I chose the ingredients I liked best and tested it out.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup cures all that ails you!  Being the best soup when you are sick I still wanted to have one that tasted homemade.  Instead of just dumping the ingredients in the pot and turning it on (which you could do) I decided to sauté my chicken, onions, carrots, and celery just a few minutes to bring in some more flavor. This technique along with some choice spices and a boost of concentrated stock turned this soup from wow to pow!!  Plus it was done in under 45 min. start to finish.  

Now THIS is why you buy an Instant Pot!  Hot hearty soup bursting with comforting flavors and it's all homemade in under and hour!  You'll surely want more of this dish.

Enjoy!



Items you might like to make this soup:

• Instant Pot
• chicken stock concentrate
• wooden spoons
• chef's knife
• bowls

Instant Pot: Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

1 Tbls butter
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups yellow onion, diced
1 cup celery, sliced - 3 stalks
1 cup carrots, diced - 3 carrots
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 Tbls chicken broth concentrate - Better than Bullion - low sodium
8 ounces small shell pasta
1 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Set the pressure cooker to the sauté setting on medium heat.

When it reaches temperature add the butter.  Once melted, add the chicken and cook until the outsides of the chicken chunks are mostly cooked, just a few minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add your onions, celery, and carrots, and continue to cook and stir for a few minutes.  Turn off the sauté setting by hitting cancel.  

Add the chicken broth, concentrate, pasta, seasoning and pepper. Stir to make sure all ingredients are submerged in the liquid.

Cover and lock the lid on the pressure cooker. Select the manual pressure cooking button and set the time to 10 minutes on high pressure. Perform a quick release to allow the steam to escape and stop the cooking.

Stir the contents, taste and adjust salt and pepper to taste.  Serve.

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Slow Cooker Lighter King Ranch Chicken Soup

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I'm back with another soup recipe today!

Work has been a bear these past two weeks.  I'm working on an enormous 2 month project and yesterday was the deadline.  I don't have time to even get up from my desk, which causes me to sit for long periods of time, eating lunch in front of the computer and not doing much else other that pushing this project through to completion.

Needless to say I come home after long, long work hours and I am too tired to cook.  As you can see from my lack of posts I'm too tired to blog as well!  The only cooking I'm actually doing is on the weekends, and then I'm still tired so the cooking has to be easy.

Today's soup recipe is just that...easy.  This is a slow cooker soup recipe that is to die for! It may take one additional step to make a roux, and some chopping of veggies, but it's pretty easy to throw together.  

SLOW COOKER LIGHTER KING RANCH CHICKEN SOUP

I'm sure you've heard of King Ranch Chicken Casserole right?  Well I came across a recipe that is a riff off of that infamous casserole in soup form.  You know I love a good soup, and with this long winter that just won't let go, a hot hearty bowl of soup hits the spot.  I was also drawn to this soup because of the word..."lighter".   King Ranch Chicken Casserole is filled with cheese and cream of chicken soup.  Two items that load up the calories in a dish.  This soup is lighter on the cheese and there isn't a can of cream of anything in sight!

With just 4-6 hours on low or 2-3 hours on high this slow cooker soup is ready when you are.  We typically go for a drive or over to Barnes and Noble's book store to relax on  Sunday's so making this before we leave is a great idea, because dinner is ready when we get home.

I have to say, I think this soup is my new favorite soup!  Imagine a bowl of steaming hot and hearty soup that is filled with shredded chicken, peppers, tomatoes, and southwestern flavors that pack a huge punch! Man! I'm getting hungry right now.....

Enjoy!





Slow Cooker Lighter King Ranch Chicken Soup

serves 4

3 Tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cloves garlic (minced)
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 Tablespoon cumin
1/2 Tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (to taste)
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 jalapeno pepper (minced and seeded)
1 red bell pepper (diced)
1 yellow onion (diced)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Tortilla chips

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add in the garlic and stir for about 1 minute. Whisk in the flour (whisking continually for 1 minute so that it does not burn).

Slowly pour in the chicken broth, whisking as your pour it in, and stir for a few minutes until the sauce has thickened up.

Remove the saucepan from the heat, and stir in the seasonings (chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper). Set the sauce aside for a minute.

Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker. Top them with the diced tomatoes, jalapeño, bell peppers, and onion. Pour the sauce over the top.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours (or high for 2-3 hours), making sure to not overcook the chicken.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and stir the cheese into the slow cooker.

Using 2 forks, shred the chicken and add it back into the slow cooker, stirring everything together. Let the slow cooker cook on low heat for 15 minutes, allowing the cheese to melt.

Serve topped with crushed tortilla chips if desired.

slightly adapted from Six Sister's Stuff