I do love summer, but now that I’ve been living in California for 3 years, I am craving fall weather and food! You better believe this is my meal for the first day of September, when I can mentally justify soups with artisanal breads. I am a forever follower of Mel from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe, and chicken tortilla soup is one of her star recipes. You can make it on the stovetop or crockpot but my preference is to make it in the Instant Pot which makes the process faster, more flavorful and makes me feel good about owning one!

The ingredients for this soup are pretty basic things I keep stocked in my pantry, with a few extras including a jalapeno, a bell pepper and cilantro! It comes together quickly, and you can even make it ahead if your dinner hour is busy. It tastes great as leftovers too! Basically you have no reason not to make this soup! I use a shredded rotisserie chicken which makes the prep even easier.

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INGREDIENTS:

• 1-2 teaspoons olive oil

  1/2 cup diced onion

  2 cloves garlic, finely minced

  1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced

  1 medium red or green bell pepper, seeded and diced

  1 teaspoon salt

  1/2 teaspoon black pepper

  5 cups low-sodium chicken broth

  8 ounce can tomato sauce

  15-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained

  15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

  2 teaspoons chili powder

  1 teaspoon dried oregano

  1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

  1 1/2 to 2 pounds (about 3 medium) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed into 1-inch pieces

  3 to 4 corn tortillas, chopped (see note)

  1 cup frozen corn kernels

  1-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

  Sour cream, shredded cheese, cilantro, lime wedges, avocados, crispy tortilla strips or chips, and other desired toppings, for serving (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. PRESSURE COOKER: Using the saute function, heat the olive oil and saute the onion, garlic, jalapeño and bell pepper for 2-3 minutes until the onion starts to soften.

2. Add the salt, pepper, chicken broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, black beans, chili powder, oregano, and cumin, chicken, and chopped tortillas. Stir.

3. Secure the lid and cook on high pressure for 7 minutes.

4. Let the pressure naturally release for 10-15 minutes before using quick release for the remaining pressure.

5. Stir in the corn and lime juice. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve with desired toppings.

6. STOVETOP: In a 4- or 5-quart pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat, and saute the onion, garlic, jalapeño and bell pepper for 2-3 minutes until the onion starts to soften.

7. Add the salt, pepper, chicken broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, black beans, chili powder, oregano, and cumin. Stir.

8. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.

9. Add the chicken and chopped tortillas; cook for 8-10 minutes more until the chicken is cooked through.

10. Stir in the corn and lime juice. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve with desired toppings.

11. SLOW COOKER: In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat, and saute the onion, garlic, jalapeño and bell pepper for 2-3 minutes until the onion starts to soften. Scrape the mixture into the slow cooker (you can skip this pre-cooking step, but I like to do it since I find that sometimes the onions don’t soften all the way when cooking).

12. Add the salt, pepper, chicken broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, black beans, chili powder, oregano, cumin, chicken, and chopped tortillas. Stir.

13. Cook for 4-6 hours on low or 2-3 on high. Stir in the corn and lime juice. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve with desired toppings.

Mel and I both like to add the corn tortillas while the soup is cooking. The tortillas soften and dissolve to create a really nice, thickened texture. I hope you’ll join me and make this recipe near the start of the fall season! No time to waste with a winner recipe like this. Everyone around your table will be talking about it!