Chicken Lime Soup

Chicken lime soup, a dinner my entire family looks forward to. This recipe has slowly been adjusted over the years and into one of our very favorite meals. It’s hearty and filling and can be easily adjusted to fit your family’s preferences.

1. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil to a large stock pot or Dutch oven.

2. Chop one medium sized onion and add to pot.

3. Wash and chop an entire bunch of celery, add to pot. Over the years, I have stopped removing the leaves from celery. They add great texture and flavor.

4. Sauté over medium heat until fragrant and onions are translucent.

5. Add 2 cans Rotel or diced tomatoes with green chiles. We love spicy food so I use one can hot Rotel and one can original.

6. Add 2 tablespoons salt, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder. Stir mixture to combine.

7. Place 1 1/2 lbs (I just eyeball this) frozen boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins over the celery mixture.

8. Pour 1 box (32 oz) chicken stock over chicken and add enough water to nearly fill your pot. Leave at least 2 inches at the top of the pot so it doesn’t boil over. I used 8 cups water in addition to the chicken stock.

9. Bring to a boil and cook until chicken is tender and cooked through. You will know the chicken is cooked when it easily breaks open while grabbing it with tongs. Remove chicken and set aside in a mixing bowl to cool.

10. Add enough water back to the pot to achieve the original liquid level prior to cooking the chicken. I added back 5 cups water. Bring back to a boil.

11. Add 1 1/2 cups rice. I like to use basmati rice because it holds its shape well and doesn’t get mushy. Cook until rice is tender, stirring occasionally.

12. Now, it’s time to shred the chicken. After the chicken is cooled, I like to remove any pieces of skin or fatty areas. If you have one, use a hand held Kitchen Aid mixer with the beaters attached to shred the chicken. This is so much faster than using forks to shred and it doesn’t create a ton of additional things to wash.

13. Add the shredded chicken back to the pot. Remove from heat.

14. Stir in 1/4 cup lime juice and ladle into bows.

15. Garnish with a generous handful of shredded white cheese like Monterey Jack or mozzarella, avocado and tortilla chips.

* I highly recommend shredding your own cheese. It melts and tastes so much better! We prefer to use mozzarella for this soup because it melts so well.

** If you’re serving this to little ones, it may be a little too spicy. My boys gobble it right up and love it. I place a handful of ice cubes in their bowls prior to filling with soup. It helps it cool quicker so they don’t burn their little mouths and also dilutes it some. You can also give them a straw so they can easily drink the broth.