Chili's Chicken Enchilas Soup

I love to make soup . . . . just ask my family.  They get kind of sick of it, I think.  I just love it when it gets cold because that just signals some need in me to make soup, rolls, cookies, you know what I mean . . .  . . . . . . .comfort food.  I must need alot of comfort, I just noticed I make alot of comfort food.   Anyway, a few years ago I tasted the Chicken Enchilada Soup at Chili's and loved it.  So like I often do, I went in search of the recipe.  As I searched the internet there were several different versions.  The one below is the one that I liked best.  I got it from the recipe zaar online.  Its called Copycat Chili's Chicken Enchilada Soup.  Now I am including the recipe for the Pico de Gallo that you need to put in it to serve, but I ususally just buy Pico at Smith's grocery store, it's about $3.00, which is probably about the same or a little less then it would be to buy the ingredients and  I think it's really good.  Some people don't like pico(my son and husband) so they don't put it in theirs, they claim to think its still great, for me and the girls however, the pico is a must, it makes a huge difference in the taste of the soup.  I usually use crumbled corn tortilla chips on top as well, but sometimes if I am serving this for a special occasion, I will go down to Cafe Rio that is just a few minutes from my house, they will sell you a plastic container full of these(about 2 cups) for 95 cents.  I know we only have a limited amount of cold days left this year so I thought I would throw this in before it gets too warm for soup.  I have lots of yummy soup recipes, so next fall I'll get to the rest of them.

Copycat Chili's Chicken Enchilada Soup

1 TBS vegetable oil
1 lb chicken breast cooked and cut up
1/2 cup diced onion
1 garlic clove, pressed
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup masa harina(you will find this either with the mexican food or the flour and baking goods)
3 cups water
1 10 oz can mild red enchilada sauce
16 oz Velveta Cheese/I use the bargain brand
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin

1.  Add the oil to a large soup pot over medium heat.  Add chicken breasts to pot and brown for 4-5 minutes per side.  Remove and set aside.
2.  Add onions and garlic to pot and saute' over medium heat for about 2 minutes, or until onions begin to become translucent.
3.  Add Chicken broth.
4.  Combine masa harina with the 3 cups of water in a bowl and wish until well blended, add to the pot and stir well.
5.  Add enchilada sauce, cheese, and spices to the pot and bring mixture to a boil.
6.  Cut the chicken into small bite size peices and add to the pot.
7.  Reduce heat and simmer soup for 30-40 minutes or until thick.
8.  Serve soup in bowls, garnish with shredded cheese, tortilla chips and pico de gallo.


Pico de Gallo

2 medium tomatoes, diced small
1/2 cup diced Spanish onion
2 tsp finely minced frest cilantro
2 tsp chopped fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and deribbed
1 pinch salt

Mix together and refridgerate for at least 2 hours.  Can be made ahead.