Oh, how I crave Mexican food!

In fact there was a time, in my past life, when I ate at On The Border (a Mexican-style chain restaurant) on a weekly basis.

When I was pregnant with my son, I had to drive an hour one-way to my prenatal doctor visits. This meant a full day in the city all by myself, and after my appointment, I would always treat myself to lunch at On The Border.

Of course, now I know that this wasn’t the best way to nourish my or my growing child’s body. Back then, it was all about the cravings!

The chicken tortilla soup at On The Border was one of my favorites. I loved this hot and broth-y chicken and vegetable soup, which I always ordered with extra cheese! (For the baby, of course. 😉 )

I can’t blame my Mexican cravings on pregnancy, however. I haven’t had a baby in over 10 years, yet Mexican food is still a staple in my {now healthy!} diet.

Like many other old favorites, I learned to re-create that restaurant chicken tortilla soup, using fresh, organic veggies, traditionally prepared rice, and nourishing bone broth.

And since making Real Food real simple is just how I roll, I’m using one of the best inventions ever to get ‘er done: my Crock Pot!

If serving over rice:

• 2 cups white basmati rice
• 3 cups warm filtered water
• 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, or whey

First, you’ll need to prepare the rice by soaking it. Combine rice, warm water, and ACV, lemon juice, or whey in a glass bowl. Cover and set aside for 7-12 hours.

When ready to cook, strain the rice, catching the liquid in a 4-cup measuring cup. Although three cups were used to soak, some of that will have been absorbed by the rice. You need to account for that water and not use a full four cups of water or broth when cooking — otherwise it’s too much liquid and the rice will be soggy.

So, measure the soaking water, and subtract that amount of water from the original 3 cups of soaking water. For example, if you catch 2-1/3 cups  of the original 3 cups soaking water, you’ll know that 2/3 cup of water was already absorbed by the rice. Subtract that 2/3 cup from the 4 cups of cooking liquid (4 cups – 2/3 cup = 3-1/3 cups), and that’s how much cooking liquid you’ll need to add to the rice. Clear as mud? 😉

Serving this soup over cooked rice is a great way to stretch it for company or a large family. Plus On the Border serves this soup over rice, and since that’s how I fell in love with it, I like to stick to it.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, know what I mean?

Nourishing Mexican Chicken Soup

You won’t believe how little hands-on time you need to make this soup. Oh, and it makes A LOT of soup, so plan on having leftovers or inviting some friends over to help you enjoy it. This recipe serves our family of four three times — and my peeps eat like linebackers.

Here’s what you need for the soup:

• 2 cups sliced and diced yellow squash
• 2 cups sliced and diced zucchini
• 2 cups finely diced yellow onion
• 2 cups diced tomatoes, roasted under your broiler until they begin to brown (or 1 can fire-roasted tomatoes)
• 2 cups cooked and shredded chicken
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon turmeric (optional, I’ve been putting it in everything lately!)
• black pepper to taste
• 2 quarts chicken bone broth

Here’s how to do it:

Combine all ingredients in your Crock Pot. Cover and cook on low all day, at least 8 hours. One hour before serving, turn Crock Pot to high.

To serve, place about 1/2 a cup of cooked rice in each bowl and ladle the soup over the rice. Or leave the rice out if you prefer and give each person a generous serving of the soup.

Garnish with any or all of these toppings:

• sliced avocado or guacamole
• cilantro
• sour cream
• creme fraiche
• crushed blue corn tortilla chips
• raw cheddar

Re-creating restaurant favorites at home is an easy way to save money AND eat better. What restaurant favorites have you re-created? Will you try this Nourishing Mexican Chicken Soup?