the weather is finally FINALLY starting to cool down here- we barely hit 70 over the weekend and even though it was a bit gloomy it was a welcome relief from the 90s and 100s we’ve been hitting for the last 6 months or so.  it was also perfect weather for soup!  thats right, more soup. I committed to making a different soup every week throughout the fall season, so here we are, week number two and I’m keeping up with my commitment.

I can’t make any promises, but this kind of commitment (with food), particularly warm fall inspired food, is easy for me.  we usually eat taco soup all season and the enchilada twist to this hearty soup was a nice change!

this enchilada soup is an easy one to make stove top (which is what I did) or you could throw it into the crock pot- PLUS nearly all the ingredients I usually have on hand anyway- even the bell pepper.  Jo eats bell pepper like an apple and requests it at lunch or dinner or both, so I’ve got that in my fridge most of the time.

you can go ahead and add this to your weeknight meal rotation because start to finish it took me less than 30 minutes to make.  I love this soup topped with a little plain greek yogurt (or sour cream!), avocado, and tortilla strips! the hubby loved it, too!  when he got up for a second bowl I knew this one was a keeper:)

chicken + quinoa enchilada soup

adapted from carlsbad cravings 

ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound chicken breasts, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1 large white onion, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 large zucchini, sliced
• 4-5 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3/4 cup quinoa, uncooked
• 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed + drained
• 2 (4 oz.) can mild diced green chilies
• 1 (14 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
• 7 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup freshly grated pepper jack cheese
  optional garnish
  • tortilla chips/strips
  • fresh cilantro
  • plain greek yogurt (or sour cream)
  • sliced avocado
  • chopped tomatoes
  • hot sauce to taste

  directions

1. heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large dutch oven/soup pot. add chicken and onions and sauté until onion starts to soften
2. add bell peppers, zucchini, garlic, flour and seasonings. cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes making sure to coat the veggies and chicken in the flour/seasoning mixture.
3. stir in quinoa, black beans, green chilies, crushed tomatoes and 6 cups chicken broth. mix cornstarch with last cup chicken broth and add to soup. bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer on medium low, stirring occasionally, for 8-12 minutes or until rice is cooked.
4. remove from heat and stir in cheese. garnish individual servings with desired toppings.