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Cafe Rio's Chicken Tortilla Soup- Our version

I got this from a food blog called Family Favorite Recipes. I really liked it, I love soup especially on a cool fall evening. I made a few changes and I didn’t grill my chicken I just put it in the oven. I made Our Best Bites pico de gallo, which I love. I think next time I will double everything because this only made 3 big bowls if you are just having soup.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Course Appetizer, Soup
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lg onion diced ( I used only 1/4)
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • a dash or two of cayenne
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 5 cups chicken broth
  • 3 tbsp fresh cilantro finely chopped
  • juice of 1/2 a lime
  • pepper to taste
  • 1 can pinto beans drained and rinsed
  • 2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 tbsp taco seasoning
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • pico de gallo
  • 2-3 avocados diced
  • 2 cups pepper jack cheese grated (or whatever cheese you like)
  • tortilla strips
  • cilantro for garnish
  • lime wedges for garnish

Instructions
 

  • In a small skillet, sauté onion in 1 tablespoon oil, until onions become slightly soft. Stir in cumin, cayenne and chili powder and sauté an additional minute or two.
  • Transfer seasoned onions to a medium-sized sauce pan. Add chicken broth, cilantro, lime juice, pepper and pinto beans to onions and simmer on low-heat for at least 2-3 hours (I'm not sure you need to simmer this long, I did this the first time, but I think 1 hour is enough).
  • Combine taco seasoning and paprika. Brush chicken with oil and rub with taco seasoning/paprika mixture.
  • Grill chicken over medium-heat until cooked through, turning only once. Remove from grill and shred. (I pounded mine just until they were an even thickness and cooked them in oven on a foil lined baking pan. 375 degrees for 20 minutes)
  • In individual bowls layer chicken, about 1/3 c. pico de gallo, 1/3 cup diced avocado, and 1/3 cup pepper jack cheese. Ladle about 1 cup chicken broth directly over the layers. Top with tortilla strips and garnish with cilantro and lime wedges.

Notes

I sautéed my onions in the same pot I was going to simmer soup in, no sense in dirtying another pan. I also just crunched some tortilla chips on top of soup instead of making tortilla strips. My lazy side coming out. 
Keyword Chicken, soup