Did you have a good college dining hall experience?
Before I went to college I pictured dining halls like a scene out of Oliver! Kids lined up with meager trays in their hands waiting to be dealt a spoonful of slop. Considering that I survived grade 1 through 12 without ever buying hot lunch, I was certainly scared to rely on cafeteria food for all three meals. Whenever I'm the slightest bit nervous I loose all cravings for food in every capacity. This makes eating on dates very easy for me. I barely ate anything my first week of college. It wasn't until the natural urges of hunger finally hit that I realized my school dining hall was nothing like the scenes from Oliver! It was truly what those orphan boys were dreaming of. Hail BU for not only giving me my degree but also allowing me to look forward to dinner every single day. Not to brag about my collegiate days but we had a full time stir fry bar, burrito bar (every BU student knows the best burritos are made in Towers), we had Lobster night, visiting sushi chefs, a crepe station on Sunday mornings, and what my out of town friends always raved about, different fruit infused water jugs from cucumber to watermelon to pineapple. Sorry mom and dad, I swear the tuition was worth the money.
During school we could log into our student accounts and see what the menu would be beforehand. Despite the numerous options, the one thing my friends and I loved above all else was when the "Soup of the Day" was chicken tortilla soup. There is something so amazing about chicken tortilla soup. First off, it has chips in it. Hands down winner right there. Second of all it has the most amazing Mexican flavors that I adore. Cilantro, tomatoes, lime, and corn. All my favorites. Lastly, it has the ability to be spicy and zesty while filling at the same time. This was my all time favorite dining hall food, and it became a staple for me cooking after I graduated.
The base of this soup is quite simple, but you can mix it up with the toppings. I usually just bake some chicken breasts and then shred them, but I have also made this soup with rotisserie chicken. The rest of the ingredients are items I have stocked up on during the pandemic. Beans, of course, frozen corn, and lots and lots of canned tomatoes. I think intuitively, my mind went to chicken tortilla soup, when I was creating my pre-quarantine stock up shopping lists.
Ingredients:
2 cups shredded chicken
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
1 medium onion diced
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 red bell pepper diced
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 24oz can crushed tomatoes
32 oz low sodium chicken broth
1 14oz can black beans
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup hot water
3 tbsp corn starch
Juice of one lime
salt and pepper
Toppings:
Fresh cilantro
red onion diced
sour cream
tortilla strips
diced avocados
jalapeños
shredded cheese (I use a Mexican blend)
In a large dutch oven heat olive oil over medium heat. Add in onion and red bell pepper and cook for five minutes, until onions become translucent. Add in garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Stir in cumin, chili powder, and tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute, the mixture will be thick. Add in crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, and shredded chicken. Bring the broth to a simmer, turn heat to low, and cook for 20 minutes. Remove the lid on the pan and add in black beans, frozen corn, and lime juice. Stir together corn starch and hot water until corn starch is fully dissolved. Add the mixture to the soup. This will help thicken the soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into individual bowls and serve with desired toppings.
2 cups shredded chicken
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
1 medium onion diced
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 red bell pepper diced
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 24oz can crushed tomatoes
32 oz low sodium chicken broth
1 14oz can black beans
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup hot water
3 tbsp corn starch
Juice of one lime
salt and pepper
Toppings:
Fresh cilantro
red onion diced
sour cream
tortilla strips
diced avocados
jalapeños
shredded cheese (I use a Mexican blend)
In a large dutch oven heat olive oil over medium heat. Add in onion and red bell pepper and cook for five minutes, until onions become translucent. Add in garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Stir in cumin, chili powder, and tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute, the mixture will be thick. Add in crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, and shredded chicken. Bring the broth to a simmer, turn heat to low, and cook for 20 minutes. Remove the lid on the pan and add in black beans, frozen corn, and lime juice. Stir together corn starch and hot water until corn starch is fully dissolved. Add the mixture to the soup. This will help thicken the soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into individual bowls and serve with desired toppings.
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