Chicken Tortilla Soup with Corn and Spinach

Adapted from 12 Best Foods Cookbook: Over 200 Delicious Recipes Featuring the 12 Healthiest Foods by Dana Jacobi (Rodale Inc., 2005)

Baby spinach, frozen corn, store-bought roast chicken, and canned broth are healthy convenience foods. Combined, they make a soup with flavor that tastes like it took more than 15 minutes to make.

(4 servings)

• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cups fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup frozen or canned corn kernels
• 4 cups lightly packed baby spinach (4 ounces)
• 2 cups diced cooked chicken breast
• 1/2 cup salsa
• Juice of 1 lime
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves
• 1 ounce unsalted tortilla chips

• 1. Heat the oil in a deep medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion until it is translucent.
• 2. Pour in the chicken broth. Add the corn and spinach. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the corn is heated through and the spinach is bright green, 3 minutes. Mix in the chicken, salsa, and lime juice. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.
• 3. To serve, divide the soup among four deep bowls. Top each bowl with one-quarter of the cilantro. Coarsely crush the tortilla chips and stir one-quarter of them into each bowl. Serve immediately.

Nutrients per serving:
Calories: 260
Fat: 7g
Carbohydrate: 22g
Protein: 27g
Total dietary fiber: 4g

TIP: If you do not have leftover cooked chicken, poach a 3/4-pound boneless, skinless breast in a saucepan in 1-3/4 cups (one 14.5-ounce can) chicken broth over medium-high heat until bubbles form around the edges of the pot, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat and simmer gently until the chicken is white in the center, about 8 minutes. Skim off any foam from the cooking liquid. Cool the chicken in the broth. Tear the chicken into 1/2" strips. Strain and reuse the poaching liquid in other dishes.

April 2005

Photographer: Maren Caruso

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