Chicken Queso Soup with Roasted Corn and Jalapeno

 

I found this recipe by pinch of Yum on Pinterest and tweaked it a little bit. (Click here for original recipe.) It is SOOO good. I've tried a lot of tortilla and taco soups in my day, but this has to be the best so far. It's a perfect recipe to put in the crock pot Sunday morning and have it for lunch after church.

Chicken Queso Soup with Roasted Corn and Jalapeno

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 cups salsa, divided
1½ cups water
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
½ teaspoon salt

1 green peppers, chopped
1 14 ounce can corn, rinsed and drained
1 jalapeno pepper, minced (without ribs and seeds)
1 14 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
4 ounces light cream cheese
6 ounces Pepper Jack cheese
cilantro for topping

tortilla chips

Place the chicken breasts, 1½ cups salsa, water, cumin, chili powder and salt in the crockpot. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours. When the chicken is done, shred the meat directly in the crockpot using two forks.

Pat the minced peppers dry with a paper towel. Place the bell peppers in a large nonstick skillet over high heat without oil. Cook for 4-5 minutes WITHOUT stirring. This creates the browned, roasted look out on the outside of the peppers. Stir once and repeat until the peppers are nice and browned.
Set aside. Repeat this process with the corn and jalapeño together.

After the chicken has been shredded, add the roasted peppers, roasted corn and jalapeño, black beans, remaining salsa, and cream cheese to the crockpot. Stir and replace cover, allowing the cream cheese to melt. Adjust the consistency of the soup by adding another ½ cup of water if needed. Let the soup simmer for another 15-30 minutes until everything is smooth and melted. Just before serving, stir in the Pepper Jack cheese. Serves 8

Nutritional information

1/8 of recipe (calculated without chips), CALORIES 264, FAT 7 g, CARBS 24 g, FIBER 5 g, PROTEIN 30 g, Weight Watchers Points plus: 7 points