Canning Chicken Tortilla Soup

Lately, I've put a lot of time into canning. I love walking down to my basement and seeing shelves full of healthy, prepared foods. I think I've been on a canning kick since quarantine has been keeping me at home, my shelves were a little depleted from this past winter's use, and the weather has been unseasonably cool. The canning helps warm the house up some without having to load up the wood stove. We really should be done with heating our homes by now, right?

The good stuff!

Anyway, I shared a picture of one of my canning projects on Facebook last week and received a lot of requests for the recipe. I thought it might be a good idea to share it here as well. I started canning years ago when my kids started working and weren't home as often. It didn't matter how many people ended up home for dinner, I could open as many or as few jars as I needed. Home canned food is also much healthier than store bought canned food. Take a look at the ingredients and then look at the sodium content on some of the packaging. It's astonishing! And sometimes kind of gross.

I realize not everyone cans food, so I created the recipe for one batch. For canning, I double or triple the batch. Also, when I'm canning it, I use all fresh peppers and tomatoes. I also use dried beans as they get less mushy when canning. If you decide to make it, I'd love to see your pictures and hear your thoughts on how it tastes. It really couldn't be any easier to make.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

½ cup diced onion

1 garlic clove, chopped

2 15 oz. cans black beans, drained

1 4.5 oz. can diced green chili peppers

1 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes

2 ½ cups chicken broth

1 cup fresh corn

1 Tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon cayenne

2 chicken breasts, cut into 1-2 inch pieces (raw is fine)

1 teaspoon salt

1.4 teaspoon pepper

1 bay leaf

Cilantro – keep separate

Dump everything, except the cilantro, in the crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Top with fresh chopped cilantro. (If you don't want to use a crock pot, you can also cook this on the stove top. Simmer for about an hour. Feel free to adjust the seasonings to your family's preferences.)

(Canning directions: Cook the chicken to make the broth. Place the chicken in a stock pot and barely cover with water. It isn't necessary to add seasonings since you'll be adding that later. Simmer for about 30 minutes until chicken is cooked through. In a very large bowl, mix everything together except the broth but including one chopped bunch of cilantro. Mix it up really well and divide up between jars. Top off the jars with the broth to within an inch of the top. I usually fill the jar to just up under the rings. Wipe the rims with a vinegar soaked paper towel to remove any oil residue. Follow the manufacturer's directions for your pressure canner and process for 90 minutes for quart jars and 60 minutes for pint jars.)