Chicken Fiesta Chowder

I love soup.  And I'm always looking for good soup recipes, but still, I had a hard time purchasing a $10  magazine.   Do you?  I love all the special publication magazines--especially the ones that come out in the fall for autumn and the holidays.  I have to pick and choose, because I could easily spend  $20-$50 in special publication  magazines each week.  YIKES!
But one I'm glad I did pick up was the Taste of Home Heartwarming Soups.   I have marked about  20 that's I want to try---that's only  50cents a recipe. Not a bad deal, huh?

I love chicken soup and I love tortilla soup and I love beans and rice and chillies and corn. This soup was all those things/had all those things.   Plus the fact that Beth Jenkins Horsley of   Belmont, North Carolina (the Taste of Home contributor) won first place in a hometown newspaper cook off with this recipe--how could I go wrong?  

We really enjoyed this soup.  It was good, easy to make, had common ingredients that are easy to find in your local market.     While I did like it, the Handyman liked it more than I did. He loved it.  That should be reason enough to make it again, his seal of approval.  He used to think of soup as something awful...out of a can, watered down broth and a random noodle or two, but now that he's been introduced to real soup--homemade-- he loves it.  And he especially liked this one because it was hardy--like a meal--with a slight Tex-Mex flavor, which he loves.   
The reason I hesitate to say that I too, loved it,   is that I put in too much lime juice.  It calls for 1 T and I squeezed in a whole lime (and it was a really juicy lime).  It was a bit tangy for me--BUT that didn't discourage the Handyman--He ate 3 bowl fulls in one sitting.  He really liked it.   So, I guess  tanginess is all in the eye of the beholder.
I also forgot to buy cilantro which the Handyman was happy about--me, not so much, as I love the taste of it.

The bottom line?  It was a really good, slightly spicy  (but you could really spice it up if you wanted to),  fall soup.  I will try it again, without so much lime juice for me.  Oh, and don't forget the cilantro.

Chicken Fiesta Chowder
Taste of Home special soup edition 2012

3 T all-purpose flour
1 envelope fajita seasoning, divided
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into  1-inch cubes
3 T canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups water
1 can, (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (11 oz) Mexicorn
1 can (14 oz) Mexican stewed tomatoes, juice and all
1 cup uncooked instant brown rice
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies
1 can  (11 oz) condensed nacho cheese soup, undiluted
3 T minced fresh cilantro
1 T. fresh lime juice

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine flour and 2 T fajita seasoning; add chicken.  Seal bag and shake to coat.  In a large saucepan, saute chicken in oil until no longer pink. 
Remove and keep warm.

In the same pan saute onion until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Stir in water, beans, tomatoes, corn, rice, chillies and remaining fajita seasoning. Bring to a boil.  reduce heat, cover and simmer for   5 minutes or until rice is tender.

Stir in the soup, cilantro, lime juice and chicken. Heat through.