I was craving a spicy tortilla-style chicken soup on a rainy day while wanting to forgo the extra carbs and dairy. Started the same way I would traditional tortilla soup, sautéing and caramelizing my mirepoix with extra sweet pepper and garlic, and before you new it, I was tipping in cumin for richness and cayenne pepper for a kick! I swapped out the tortillas for zucchini noodles and made sure to add fresh lime and avocado at the end – and let me tell you, it was absolutely DELICIOUS!
It’s such a great feeling when a soup leaves you feeling healthier with every spoonful…
Pro-tip: you could easily substitute the chicken broth with veggie broth and leave out the chicken if you want a vegetarian version of this soup!
- 1 8 oz chicken breast, cooked
- 2 c chicken broth
- 1 zucchini, spiraled or julienned
- ½ c chopped onion
- ½ c chopped red pepper
- ½ c chopped celery
- ½ c sliced carrots
- ½ canned diced tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ avocado, diced
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 lime, halved
- Fresh cilantro for garnish
- Place the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium high heat.
- Once it flows easily around the pan, add the onions, celery, red pepper, garlic, a pinch of salt to prevent burning, and sauté together until the vegetables start to become soft, about 4 minutes.
- Stir in the carrots, cumin, and cayenne and sauté an additional 3 minutes until he carrots begin to caramelize.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes, chicken, and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the zucchini noodles.
- Split between two serving bowls and divide diced avocado between them.
- Squeeze half of a lime over the bowl.
- Add salt & pepper to taste and garnish with fresh cilantro!
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