Name: Avocado Lime Chicken Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 large white onion, minced; 4 jalapenos, sliced into thin rings; 2 Tablespoons minced garlic; 2 Tablespoons avocado oil; 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, (about 3 breasts); 10 oz pkg cherry tomatoes, sliced in half; 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided; 6 cups chicken broth; 1/2 cup lime juice; 1-3 avocados, pitted and cut into thin slices; salt and pepper, to taste

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Avocado Lime Chicken Soup is deliciously savory with deep citrus undertones in a spicy jalapeno chicken broth. It’s so easy to make! And everyone wants seconds!

Avocado Lime Chicken Soup served in a pale blue stoneware bowl with avocado slices and crispy corn tortilla strips

Avocado Lime Chicken Soup is all the comfort of homemade chicken soup with something extra. This luscious soup is so light, and yet tremendously satisfying.

Besides being superbly delicious, this powerhouse soup is loaded with nutrients and antioxidants from onions, garlic, citrus and avocado.

It’s simple to make. It’s gluten free and dairy free. And, Avocado Lime Chicken Soup can be on your table in 30 minutes or less.

It was exactly what I needed tonight to combat all the sniffles and stuffiness from Fall allergies. It will go to work battling those cold and flu bugs that are cropping up with cooler weather, too.

You’re going to love how simply it fits into your regular meal rotation, this Fall!

The Ingredients

boneless skinless chicken breasts
chicken broth: If necessary, to enhance the broth flavor you can add a bouillon cube or two, or your favorite brand of chicken base.
large white onion: I mince the onion pretty fine. It will cook down and melt away to the point that all you’re really left with is the caramely sweet flavor.
minced garlic: Garlic powder isn’t going to provide the same flavor or nutrients as fresh garlic,this time. Mince it up yourself or buy it already minced in the produce section at your supermarket.
jalapenos
avocado oil : You can certainly use your preferred cooking oil. I love the health benefits of avocado oil. It also has a very high smoke point, 520°. Heating cooking oil beyond its smoke point releases toxins and free radicals that you definitely don’t want coming in contact with your food or going into your body. Check out this list, for info about your oil’s smoke point and on picking the right oil for your cooking project.
cherry (or grape) tomatoes: I used a 10 oz. container and halved them (about 2 cups). You could try using chopped Roma tomatoes if you don’t have cherry tomatoes.
lime juice: Fresh limes have been terrible quality in our area, recently. I used bottled lime juice and you’d never know it.
fresh cilantro: Set aside a small amount of what you chop to use for garnish on your finished Avocado Lime Chicken Soup.
corn tortillas: These are for making fresh and crispy corn tortilla strips to garnish the soup. You could leave them off. But, the crunchy texture and corn flavor take the soup to yet another level of satisfying goodness.
avocados : Plan half an avocado per person you will be serving.
salt and pepper

How to Make Crispy Corn Tortilla Strips

thin corn tortillas strips on a baking tray

Begin by preheating your oven to 400° and cutting the corn tortillas into thin strips. Scatter the tortilla strips across an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 3-4 minutes, until they begin to crisp up. They will still be slightly flexible while warm. It’s okay if they begin to brown very lightly, but don’t let them get dark. They will taste burnt. Let them cool on the sheet pan while you make the rest of the soup. They’ll be perfectly crisp when you’re ready to serve.

Once your tortilla strips are out of the oven and cooling, start preparing the Avocado Lime Chicken Soup.

Prep the Ingredients Before Starting the Soup

Mince the onion and garlic. Slice the jalapenos. (This is the point where you adjust the heat for your own personal tastes. I use 4 large jalapenos, seeds and all. My soup is definitely spicy. You can use anywhere in between that 1-4 peppers to create the level of heat you and your family enjoy.) Be sure to use safe handling practices when working with jalapenos. Don’t touch your eyes or face and wash hands thoroughly after working with them.

Take the time to chop the cilantro and slice the avocado, now. Sprinkle a small amount of lime juice and some salt over the avocado slices and set them aside.

Lastly, slice the chicken. I cut each chicken breast in half horizontally to create two thinner portions. Then I cut each of those portions into thin strips (about 3/8″ thick).

chopped cilantro and halved cherry tomatoes on a cutting board

Now, all your prep work is done and the soup will come together quickly.

How to Make Avocado Lime Chicken Soup

Use a *5 or 6 quart stock/soup pot. Add oil, minced onion, garlic and sliced jalapenos to the pan. Over medium heat, sweat down the vegetables for about 5 minutes. The onion won’t have the opportunity to completely caramelize, but it will begin to become more translucent. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching.

minced onion, minced garlic, sliced fresh jalapeno and avocado oil in a 4 qt. stock pot

Next add the strips of chicken, halved cherry tomatoes and cilantro to the cooked vegetables in the pot. Stir everything together.

Pour the chicken broth and lime juice over everything. I add about a teaspoon of black pepper at this point. I don’t salt anything until nearer the end, when I can taste the soup and see if it needs more seasoning.

strips of chicken, halved cherry tomatoes and chopped cilantro added to the soup pot for making Avocado Lime Chicken Soup

adding chicken broth, lime juice and black pepper to the stock pot for making Avocado Lime Chicken Soup

Cook the soup for 10 to 15 minutes over medium high heat. You’re cooking just to get the thin strips of chicken cooked through. It literally only takes those few minutes and then your meal is ready. Yum!

Serve the soup topped with slices of fresh avocado and your crispy corn tortilla strips. You could chop the avocado and mix it in, but I prefer to garnish the bowl with the slices. That gives the person eating the freedom to cut and mix them as they prefer. Enjoy, my friend!

Praying the rest of your week is blessed beyond your imagination. ~Glenda

The Recipe