Tasty Thursdays: Chili-Spiced Chicken Soup

It's been freezing here in New York City lately -- yesterday morning was about 14 degrees Fahrenheit! A way that I usually warm up is to either drink a hot cup of coffee or cocoa, or sip some soup :) The following recipe for a Chili-Spiced Chicken Soup which I found on Cooking Light sounds not only healthy, but easy to make! (The recipe makes 8 servings).

Ingredients:
Spice blend:

• 2 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Soup:

• 1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
• 1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
• 2 cups chopped sweet onion
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels
• 1 (32-ounce) carton fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (28-ounce) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes, undrained
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Relish:

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/3 cup chopped green onions
• 1 teaspoon grated lime rind
• 3 ounces queso fresco, crumbled
• 1 diced peeled avocado
• Cilantro sprigs (optional)

Directions:
1. To prepare spice blend, combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl.
2. To prepare soup, heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chicken; sprinkle 1 1/2 tablespoons spice blend over chicken. Sauté 8 minutes or until done; cool. Chop chicken; set aside.
3. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium-high heat; add onion, bell peppers, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle vegetable mixture with remaining spice blend; sauté 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 (through avocado).
5. Ladle 1 1/4 cups soup into bowls; top with 1/4 cup relish. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.

Follow me on: Bloglovin' | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr