Day 22 of the Under 500 Calorie Challenge: Chicken Tortilla Soup

Today is Day 22 of the Under 500 calorie challenge! I can't believe it has been 3 weeks! I was another pound down for a total of 4.5 lbs! I've been cooking 4-5 nights each week and eating out the other days. This weekend, we had pizza on Friday night and Saturday night was a great Chicken Salsa Fresca at On the Border along with a skinny margarita, Yum! My inspiration recipe for tonight was a slow cooker recipe. This may sound silly, but I didn't have time to do the slow cooker method as it called for cooking at 4 hours on high which would have meant dinner at 9pm. The recipe also called for the use of a rotisserie chicken, but I'm not a big fan of the mess of taking off the skin and getting the meat of the bone. Instead, last night I cooked a package of skinless, boneless chicken breasts. I placed the chicken in a shallow baking dish with a cup of chicken broth. I cover the dish with foil and baked it for 30 minutes at 350*. I then just stored the meat in the refridge overnight and shredded it this afternoon before adding it to the soup pot.

Chicken Tortilla Soup:
(Serves 16, 507 calories per serving)

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
3 14oz cans of low sodium chicken broth
2 28 oz cans of mild enchilada sauce
2 cans of Rotel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies
1 cup reduced fat sour cream
2 packages of Spanish rice
3 tbsp cumin
4 cups shredded chicken breast
Cilantro and shredded cheddar cheese for garnish

Cook spanish rice according to package directions. In a large stockpot, heat olive oil and sauté the diced onion and garlic until softened about 5 minutes. Stir in the broth, enchilada sauce, diced tomatoes and cream. Add the cumin blend all together. Add the shredded chicken and Spanish rice. Let simmer on low for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Garnish with fresh cilantro and a tablespoon of cheddar cheese if desired.