Southwestern Chicken & White Bean Soup

I've been holding on to this Cooking Light recipe for quite some time now. It's been in my long list of weekday recipes to try. But as Hubby will attest to, I have hundreds of these that I have printed out and put in binders and unfortunately, forgotten. Now that I'm menu planning ahead of time though, I'm going back to those binders to pull recipes.

Hubby & I both were a big fan of this very quick and simple soup. This is a great soup for a weekday night or for lunch.

Don't skip the cilantro - this really adds a brightness to the soup that complements the other flavors. Also, the recipe calls for 2 cups of cooked shredded chicken.  I used a 1 lb package of chicken tenderloins and this was the perfect amount. I sprayed a baking sheet with cooking spray and drizzled the tenders with olive oil, then sprinkled each with sea salt, fresh ground pepper and cumin (for an added level of flavor). I baked these at 375 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. When they cooled slightly, I shredded them by hand. If you really were pushed for time though, you could get by with a shredding a rotisserie chicken.

In addition to garnishing this with cilantro and sour cream, I also sprinkled each bowl with fresh sliced jalapenos and a drizzle of Sriracha (we love that stuff!). If you don't like things spicy, make as is.

Southwestern Chicken & White Bean Soup

2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1 tablespoon 40%-less-sodium taco seasoning
Cooking spray
2 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained (I used Great Northern)
3/4 cup green salsa
Light/Fat free sour cream (optional)

Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
Sliced fresh jalapenos (optional)
Sriracha (optional)

Combine chicken and taco seasoning; toss well to coat. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken; sauté 2 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned. Add broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.

Place beans in a small bowl; mash until only a few whole beans remain. Add beans and salsa to pan, stirring well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes or until slightly thick (I simmered for 25 minutes). Serve with sour cream, cilantro, jalapenos & Sriracha, if desired.