Chicken Avocado Soup

After Christmas & New Years, I was ready for some healthier meal options. We had three Christmas dinners, an epic "anniversary" dinner in DC, a huge homemade pizza buffet for New Years Eve, and then five days of crap from New Years Day until we were back in Virginia. We got back to Virginia fairly early on the 5th, and I was really looking forward to a healthy bowl of soup. 

This chicken & avocado soup did not disappoint! It was light, healthy and had tons of flavor! The chicken was roasted & the removed from the bone while the veggies were sauteed and then simmered in chicken stock. This was an quick & easy dinner and will definitely be a regular in our soup rotation!

Chicken & Avocado Soup

(Recipe inspired by this one.)

Ingredients:

• 3 bone in chicken breasts
• 1 can of cannelini beans; rinsed & drained
• 1 can of diced tomatoes; drained
• 1 jalepeno; finely diced
• 3 cloves of garlic; minced
• 1 onion; chopped
• 5 cups of chicken broth 
• 2 T. of cumin
• 1 T. chili powder
• salt & pepper to taste
• olive oil
• 2 avocados 
• Juice of a lime

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350. Rub skin of chicken liberally with olive oil & sprinkle with salt & pepper. Roast for about 40 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. When cooked, remove the meat & set aside. 
2. Heat about 2 T. of olive oil in the dutch oven. Saute the onions & jalapenos until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. 
3. Add the stock, tomatoes, chicken and beans. Bring to a boil & reduce to a simmer. Add the spices & let simmer for about 10 minutes. 
4. Just before serving, chop the avocado and toss with lime juice and salt. 
5. Serve the soup and top with a spoonful of the avocado. 

The avocado completely makes this soup. The kick of the lime & the creamy deliciousness of the avocado turn this basic soup into something amazing. For an extra kick, I topped my bowl with a spoonful of super spicy salsa.