I’ve been in a little bit of a funk the past couple days.  My monthly migraines have hit, taking me down a notch for two or three days.

Also, my Grandpa Jerry is in the VA hospital with dehydration and pneumonia.  These are the times when being eight hours away is really tough.  I know logically that I, personally, can’t really do anything to make him better, but I would love to be able to go see him.  Hopefully, he’ll be home in the next day or two and Ali and I can give him a call.

So – there hasn’t been a ton of stuff getting done around here…  But, I did need to make something for Corey to take to an office potluck, and I decided to try out a recipe for chicken fajita soup.  It turned out awesome, even though I forgot to put in two of the ingredients!  This recipe is meant to feed a crowd, or provide a meal or two and leftovers for the freezer, but it could be easily cut down to size.

I made the chicken ahead of time in the crockpot:  just cover with water and cook on high for about 4 hours.  Mine was falling apart at this point, so I took it out, let it cool, then ripped it to shreds.  You could also get the precooked grilled chicken tenders in the freezer section.

Then I threw it all together in a big pot!  I ended up adding extra chicken broth to make it a little more soup-y.  After it boils and simmers, the recipe says to add shredded Mexican cheese and sour cream, but these are the ingredients I forgot…  I had already eaten a bowl of soup and loved it, so I figured I could live without the extra calories.

This was super easy, and I have a few jars to stash in the freezer for later!  Don’t you love my fancy jars and labels?  🙂

Chicken Fajita Soup

(adapted from The Scout’s Outdoor Cookbook)
serves 12-14

2 lbs chicken breast, cooked and shredded
4 cartons chicken broth  (32 oz each)
1 jar mild salsa (24 oz)
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 bell peppers, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 small bag frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, corn, peas, green beans)
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups cooked rice
1 pkg fajita seasoning
1 lb shredded Mexican style cheese (optional)
1 container sour cream (optional)
limes and cilantro for garnish

Saute onions and bell peppers in some olive oil until soft, then dump into a big pot with all other ingredients except for cheese and sour cream.

Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about an hour.  Blend in cheese and sour cream, if using.  Serve warm with a sprinkle of lime and some chopped cilantro on top.

Variation:  Add crushed tortilla chips to the soup along with cheese and sour cream.  Or just crush and sprinkle on top for some crunch.

**Note:  When we heated up the leftovers, I added some cheese and sour cream as the recipe suggests.  Definitely took the soup from awesome to ridiculous.  🙂

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