Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup
Anything taco related seems to be a big draw for Dr. Shillingford’s gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, and lap band patients. According to Dr. Shillingford’s Facebook page, taco recipes are our most viewed blog entries. So we are striving to give our bariatric patients more of what they want and offering different takes on tacos. Look for more taco recipes to come!
This recipe for Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup is good because it is very versatile and uses leftover chicken, which many people always seem to have in their fridge. The soup toppings can be customized to your taste preferences, which makes it great for serving at dinner time so all family members can make their soup how they like it. If you don’t have chicken, you can leave it out and add an extra can of beans, or you can add leftover ground beef, shredded pork, or ground turkey if you have it on hand. Adding the chicken, beef, pork, or turkey is a good way of adding more protein, which is very important for bariatric patients to ensure the are consuming enough protein to maintain a healthy body while losing weight. The beans and the whole wheat tortillas add fiber, which helps us feel fuller for longer and keeps us more regular.
The soup makes for a great quick dinner. Whole wheat quesadillas on the side can be a good choice for a more filling dinner. You can easily double the recipe without much extra work and have leftovers. Store leftover soup in individual containers to easily grab and take for lunch to avoid the pitfalls and expense of eating out on your lunch break. You can even pack it in a thermos for the kids to enjoy at school.
Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients:
2 cups of salsa
2 cups vegetable stock or broth
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
3/4 cup shredded leftover chicken
1 whole wheat tortillas, cut into strips
Directions:
- Add half of the black beans and half of the salsa to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. This will thicken the soup, but if you prefer it thin, you may skip this step.
- Add vegetable stock, salsa, beans, corn, shredded chicken, and puree to a pot, and cook uncovered over medium heat.
- While the soup is cooking, prepare your toppings.
- After the soup comes to a boil, turn it off and let it simmer for 3-5 minutes.
- Add tortilla strips and ladle into bowls.
- Add your choice of toppings, and enjoy!
Good choices for toppings include: shredded cheese, plain greek yogurt or sour cream, diced avocado, diced onion, jalapeno slices, diced tomato, fresh cilantro, or anything else you like.
The above recipe suggestion is offered by Dr. Shillingford, M.D., P.A., a board certified surgeon specializing in laparoscopic and obesity surgery. Dr. Shillingford’s gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, and lap band patients come from all over South Florida, including Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Delray Beach, and Coral Springs. Dr. Shillingford’s weight loss patients are often seeking new recipes that both taste good and are easy to prepare.
