Soup for dinner has always been tough for me to sell to my husband.  In my opinion a nice bowl of soup with a salad is a perfect dinner – especially when the soup has some type of protein.  The best part of making soup for dinner, is rarely can 2 people finish a big pot of soup – and I always seem to have enough for leftovers – or better yet, for the freezer. 

When my second daughter was born and I was on maternity leave from work, my quest was to fill the freezer with as many dinners as I possibly could.  Whenever I made something that I thought would freeze well – I made a lot.  When I finally went back to work, the freezer was packed with so much food – I couldn’t even tell what was in there.  I realized then that I made a big mistake…I forgot to label the food.  I just assumed I would know by looking at the container what was what – but when you have thirty different containers that all look the same, it is hopeless.  For the next few months when I would take something out of the freezer for dinner, it was a game – try and figure out what is in there before it thaws.  I actually did ok – but I learned my lesson – now I keep a sharpie and labels in the kitchen for this very purpose.

I saw this recipe in Cooking Light, and decided I needed to start filling the freezer again.  This soup was delicious – hearty, yet not too heavy – and the avocado/cilantro relish on top was incredible.  It gave the soup an intense flavor and creaminess that was perfect.  I can’t wait for the second round out of the freezer!

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)