I always get so comforted when the weather begins to change and the evenings begin earlier because it means dinners going from light and cool to warm and cozy. It also means soup season! I wanted to share with you one of our family favorites – this Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup. This recipe is quick and easy and requires only one pot which means less dishes – wink! This is also one that we have adjusted over time to make sure that there is just enough kick for Mom and Dad, but not too much to keep the kids asking for seconds.

So let’s jump in. First, you are going to want to chop one medium yellow onion and two cloves of garlic. I usually don’t add in the entire onion because my kids don’t like to be overwhelmed with it – more like 3/4 get thrown in so gauge based on your audience at home.

You’ll then take 3 tablespoons of butter and add it to the empty pot. Begin melting over medium heat, add your chopped onion and garlic and cook until soft. It usually takes about 5 to 8 minutes. Once your onion and garlic have softened, then add in your 3 tablespoons of flour and stir together. The flour is going to help keep things thick.

Once that is done, you’ll then want to add in all of your other ingredients – chicken stock, half and half, Rotel, black beans, pinto beans, cumin, paprika, taco seasoning, oregano, corn and salt and pepper to taste.

With five kids running around and my husband and I both maintaining busy schedules between both of our businesses, I like to keep things as easy and simple as I can. So for this recipe, I pick up two fresh rotisserie chickens from the grocery store. Depending on the size of your audience, you could go with just one, but I like to make sure there is plenty to go around. I simply remove the chicken from the bone and chop it up to add it into the soup. If you prefer cooking your own chicken, you can easily adjust this recipe to use chicken breasts and cook in the crock pot.

I then bring everything to a boil and reduce heat to low for simmer between 20 to 30 minutes. This will help to thicken up your soup even more and ensure that everything is hot and ready. Once it is, I dish into bowls and top with monterey jack cheese, sliced avocado, sour cream, tortilla strips and chopped cilantro. Delicious and a crowd pleaser! Keep scrolling to snag your ingredient list for the store and I hope you and your family enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 to 2 rotisserie chickens
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 3 tablespoons butter
• (1) 32 ounce box of chicken stock
• 2 cups of half and half
• 1 can of Rotel
• 1 can of black beans
• 1 can of pinto beans
• 1 cup of frozen corn kernels
• 1 tablespoon taco seasoning (I use the Old El Paso brand)
• 2 teaspoons of cumin
• 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon of oregano
• salt and pepper to taste

For your toppings:

• monterey jack cheese
• sour cream
• avocado
• tortilla strips (find these with the salad toppings at your grocery store or simply use tortilla chips)
• fresh chopped cilantro

Browse other recipes from the Haus of Layne kitchen, you can do so here.