Speedy Chicken Fajita Soup

This speedy and delicious Chicken Fajita Soup is my take on a chicken fajita, only in soup form. It's a wonderfully quick weeknight meal that takes advantage of store-bought rotisserie chicken.

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My inspiration for coming up with this original Chicken Fajita Soup recipe comes from my sweet, sweet, sister Lynn.

You see, I'd seen her this past weekend and we got to talking about my blog, and recipes in general.

She told me that what she and probably most people these days are looking for are quick and easy recipes that have 5 ingredients or fewer. So on the drive home from seeing her that night, I brainstormed this soup.

Coming up with a recipe for 5 ingredients or fewer is harder than it might seem (at least for me). I tried to keep this one as simple as possible, and if you don't count the salt, pepper, and olive oil, this one clock in at 10 total ingredients (not including the garnishes, which are optional).

Yes, I know, it's a long way off from 5, but if you decided to use a pre-packaged fajita seasoning mix (directions also included with the recipe) you can knock 3 spices off the list which will bring you to a final total of 7 ingredients.

Not too far off the mark, I'd have to say.

To make this soup super quick and easy to prepare, I took full advantage of a wonderful store-bought rotisserie chicken.

After removing the skin, I chopped it up and tossed it in with all the other quick-cooking ingredients and dinner was ready in a flash.

This Chicken Fajita Soup was hot, hearty, slightly spicy, and tasted just like a chicken fajita... only in soup form.

SPEEDY CHICKEN FAJITA SOUP   
Serves: 6-8          Prep Time: 7-10 minutes     Cook Time: 15 minutes

3 large green bell peppers, seeded chopped
2 medium red onions, chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes with lime and cilantro (or use 1 cup salsa of your choice)
1 can fire-roasted jalapenos (a little less if you'd rather not have it too spicy)
1 rotisserie chicken, skinned, and the meat chopped
2 teaspoons roasted cumin*
1 teaspoon roasted coriander*
2 tablespoons garlic powder*
*Note -  or you can substitute ½ a package of fajita seasoning for the cumin, coriander, and garlic powder
1 carton (32 ounces) of low-sodium chicken stock
6 whole-wheat tortillas, cut into strips
olive oil spray
Sour Cream to garnish (optional)
Shredded Mexican cheese to garnish (optional)

-Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
-In a large Dutch oven, saute the green peppers and onions in olive oil. Cook over medium/high heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the salt and pepper.
-Reduce the heat to medium/low and stir in the tomatoes (with their juice), jalapenos, chicken, seasoning spices, and the chicken stock. Simmer, covered for about 10-15 minutes
-Meanwhile, place the tortilla strips in a single layer on a baking sheet. Spray with olive oil spray and bake in a preheated oven for about 10 minutes while the soup simmers.
-Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the baked tortilla strips, sour cream and cheese, if desired.