Well, we finally had a bit of a winter around here, or at least a few days of rain – yay! So I was excited to make soup. It’s hard to get excited about soup when it is 80* outside.

I’ve had this recipe for years and years and it is one of my favorites. Even though it calls for tons of ingredients, the chowder comes together very quickly. It normally takes me about 15 minutes to prep and another 15 to 30 to cook. Plus it is all in one pot – super easy. It is very hearty and even though the thought of eating nacho cheese soup grosses me out, it’s delicious in this soup and I would not leave it out.

Fiesta Chowder
3 T flour
1 (1.4 ounce) package fajita seasoning, divided
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
3 T oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 t minced garlic
2 cups frozen corn
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5 ounce) can of Mexican style stewed tomatoes
1 (4.5 ounce) can chopped green chiles
3 cups water
1 cup uncooked instant brown rice
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can nacho cheese soup
3 T chopped fresh cilantro
1 T lime juice
Garnish with more fresh cilantro, olives, Cotija cheese or whatever sounds good to you.

Combine flour and 2T of fajita seasoning in a zip top bag; add chicken pieces and shake to coat. Cook coated chicken in the hot oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over high heat, stirring often for 4 minutes or until browned. Reduce heat to medium and add onion and garlic; sauté for about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining fajita seasoning, corn, black beans, tomatoes, chiles, water and instant brown rice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low; cover and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove lid and add the nacho cheese soup, chopped cilantro and the limes juice. Let simmer for a few more minutes while you are pulling together the rest of the meal. We normally serve ours with salad and some sort of bread or tortilla chips.

Cindy