I am all about making dinner time about spending time with family instead of slaving over the stove. So when it comes to creating dinner I like to create recipes that are simple yet satisfying to the pallet. Last night was yet another successful quick and simple dinner, Lemon Chicken.

Julie and I were chatting on twitter the other day about soups and I asked if she had any recipes she may want to share with me since I came to the realization that I’ve only ever made two types of soups. Creamy Potato and Broccoli Cheese. While they are amazing soups I have been trying to stay away from creams and cheese based foods. And being the awesome person that she is she shared a few soup recipes that looked amazing. But I knew I had to try her Chicken Tortilla Soup as soon as I saw the recipe.

When I went shopping I had two of Julies soup recipes up on my phone and I accidentally looked at the wrong one and purchased a rotisserie chicken when the recipe called for chicken breasts so I ended up changing the recipe a little bit based on that.  

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1/2 cup salsa (I used Riverwalk Cantina salsa, you can pick it up at Walmart for under $2)
5 cups of chicken broth (or chicken bullion)
Half a roasted chicken, chopped into bite sized pieces (I picked up a precooked roasted chicken from the store)
4 Tablespoons uncooked rice
1/2 chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro (optional…I am not a straight cilantro fan so I didn’t use this)
1/2 cup shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 can of black beans (washed and drained)
2 large, ripe avocados chopped into bite sized pieces
Tortilla Chips
Onion powder, Cumin and Cayenne pepper to taste
Lime

Heat chicken broth to boil in a large pot. Once boiling add salsa and rice and cook for approximately 15 minutes or until the rice is tender.
Now throw in the chicken, onions, black beans and seasonings to taste. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
Taste the soup to make sure the seasonings are to your liking. If all tastes good then turn off the flame.
Just before serving add the cheese and cilantro. 
The fun part is piling up all the goodies to your hearts content. Avocado, cheese, sour cream, additional cheese (if you want it extra cheesy)and chips. You can either put them in the bowl prior to pouring the soup in or you can break a small handful of chips for the top. I personally like the little bit of crunch putting them on last adds to the soup. Last but not least is squeeze a little bit of fresh lime juice on top.

I love salads. I don’t think I have ever come across a salad that I haven’t liked. There are a few that I thought for sure they would be horrible but I was proven wrong. Typically I don’t like to be proven wrong but when it comes to new foods I am good with it because my belly is nice and full with delicious food. Mmm mmm good.

A go to salad in my house is a Buffalo Chicken Salad. I don’t make mine like a typical salad. Actually a lot of times buffalo chicken salads can be a tad boring. So I add my own person touch to them with a bit more variety. Here is my simple yet very tasty recipe for Buffalo Chicken Salad.