Tex Mex Taco Soup

This is one of our family favorite recipes and I can’t believe it has taken me so long to post it! Jim has asked a couple times recently for this dish.  I was getting ready for a vacation away with a close friend so I used this opportunity to make this for him to eat while I was away. Needless to say he was very pleased and did not go hungry! I found the original recipe on Food Network, but have changed it to fit my family’s taste so feel free to change it your way as well!  We like this with some crusty bread and a side salad! Did I mention this is a one pot dish and I use a rotisserie chicken? Easy and delicious!

INGREDIENTS
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 vidalia onion, diced
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 rotisserie chicken, with the meat pulled off
1 package taco seasoning (gluten free for Robby)
2 (4 ounce) cans tomato paste
1 (8 ounce) jar of medium spice salsa (gluten free for Robby)
1 (14 ounce) can of corn (omit for Robby)
1 (16 ounce) black beans, rinsed
30 ounces of chicken broth (or more depending on how thick you want your soup)
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese (dairy and gluten free for Robby. Kate Hill Brand)

OPTIONAL
Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
Tortilla chips
Crusty Bread

DIRECTIONS
Sauté onion, green pepper and garlic in the vegetable oil for just a couple minutes. Add the chicken, taco seasoning, salsa, corn, beans, tomato paste and chicken broth. Adjust the broth to your preference of thickness. Bring the ingredients to a slow simmer and simmer for 20 minutes. Slice the cream cheese into pieces and add to the soup, stir often letting the cream cheese melt and incorporate into the soup. Simmer for another ten minutes. Add shredded Monterey Jack cheese if desired and serve with tortilla chips or crusty bread.

Enjoy!