Chili-Spiced Chicken Soup

Don't you just love it when you spend your entire day off running errands?! NOT! Well I had one of those days today, it was one thing after another! I did get to enjoy a lovely lunch out with my wonderful grandma, so that was a bonus! But other than that, I have been non-stop on my feet. So when I finally got home around 4:30 this afternoon, I just wanted to take a nap and tell Tony to grab a pizza! But I didn't--I was a trooper and still cooked the dinner I was planning on making, and I am sooo glad I did! I absolutely love spicy food, and this soup had the perfect blend of flavors! It was spicy, but not hot enough to ruin the taste. It is a super light soup (with only 285 calories per serving!) but you cannot tell! It is hearty and filling and completely satisfying!

Chili-Spiced Chicken Soup with Stoplight Peppers & Avocado Relish

adapted from: Cooking Light

Ingredients:

SPICE BLEND:

• 2 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. salt

SOUP:

• 1 Tbsp. oil, divided
• 1 1/4 lb chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch wide strips
• 2 c. chopped onion
• 1 c. chopped red bell pepper
• 1 c. chopped yellow bell pepper
• 1 c. chopped green bell pepper
• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 c. corn
• 1 (32 oz) carton chicken broth
• 1 (28 oz) can fire roasted crushed tomatoes, undrained
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

RELISH:

• 1/2 c. chopped cilantro
• 1/3 c. chopped green onions
• 1 tsp. grated lime rind
• 3 oz queso fresco, crumbled
• 1 diced, peeled avocado

Directions:

1. To prepare spice blend, combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl.
2. To prepare soup, heat 2 tsp. oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; sprinkle 1 1/2 Tbsp. spice blend over chicken. Saute 8 minutes or until done, cool. Chop chicken and set aside.
3. Heat remaining 1 tsp. oil in pan over medium-high heat; add onion, bell peppers, garlic, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Sprinkle vegetables with remaining spice blend; saute 8 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Stir in chicken, corn, broth, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer 15 minutes. Add lime juice.
4. To prepare relish, combine chopped cilantro and next 4 ingredients.
5. Ladle 1 1/4 c. soup into bowls; top with 1/4 c. relish

**I didn't make the relish, thats what happens when you don't read the whole directions! It was still delicious but next time I can't wait to try it with the relish!