Sweet Potato Black Bean Tortilla Soup

It’s “spring” around here, which means one day it’s sunny and seventy five, and the next day it’s a blizzard.  Oh, and some days it’s a blizzard in the morning and feels like a sauna by afternoon.

Regardless of the lack of consistency, it is still true that any snow day- no matter how short- calls for a warm, cozy, and comforting meal.

For me, that’s soup.

Since the weather is unpredictable, and it could snow at any given moment, I needed to come up with a soup that had all the flavor of a slow cooked soup but that could be cooked in an hour or less.  If it takes too long, the snow might be gone by the time my soup is done.

I think I also told y’all that organic sweet potatoes have been on sale in very large quantities lately, so I have been on a sweet potato kick.

And I am kind of always on a black bean kick.  I know all the whole thirty-ers are frowning on that, but they are just so darn good and we love them.

Oh, and honestly, I always love anything with a Mexican or Southwestern flare.

So sweet potato black bean tortilla soup was my golden idea.

The name is a little misleading, because it does actually have chicken in it as well… but seriously, don’t y’all agree that it’s overkill to call it sweet potato black bean chicken tortilla soup?

If you need the soup to be true to its name, you can always go sans chicken and then you can invite your vegetarian friends over for dinner.

Back to my soup… with the chicken.

I actually really despise working with raw chicken, which is kind of hilarious because I am chef for crying out loud.  But y’all… it’s gross.  Whenever I have the opportunity to just throw a chicken breast on the stove and walk away without cutting and trimming and all of that… I do.

Since you would typically want all the juicy flavor in a soup, I literally just throw the chicken breasts in a pot of water with all the spices and walk away.  I come back when they are done, remove them from the water and shred them once they have cooled down.  Then I throw them right back in their own juicy water and it’s as if I shredded them and cooked them that way.

Then I add the chopped sweet potatoes and let them do their thing for a few minutes before adding everything else.

And then I stand by the window and watch it snow while my soup simmers for a few more minutes.

And then I eat it all cozied up by the fire with my husband.

I’m just kidding, we don’t have a fireplace, but doesn’t that sound so nice?

Oh, and it’s totally fine if you eat this when it’s not snowy outside, just in case you were wondering.

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Sweet Potato Black Bean Tortilla Soup

Here's What You Need

• 4 large chicken breasts
• 6 c water
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 large onion chopped
• 4 large sweet potatoes chopped
• 4 cants organic black beans
• 2 jalapeños seeded and chopped (optional)

Here's What You Do

1. Place chicken in a large pot on the stove. Add 4-6 cups water (there should be a couple of inches of water above the chicken). Add all spices to cook with the chicken. Once chicken is done ( it will be solid white throughout) remover chicken from liquid and place on cutting board. Allow to cool for about ten minutes before shredding with a fork and knife. (Alternatively, you can just cut the chicken in small pieces, but you will definitely get a better result with your soup if you shred).

2. Return chicken to liquid. If it seems there is not enough liquid, simply add more!
   

3. Add sweet potatoes and boil for approximately ten minutes.
   

4. Add black beans and onions (as well as jalapeños if using) and reduce to a simmer.
   

5. Simmer for approximately ten more minutes or until potatoes are tender.
   

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