Salsa Chicken Soup with Spinach and Legumes

Yesterday there was a chill in the air and I just could not stay warm. I decided to make a pot of soup. I was looking for a new recipe that used a lot of spinach. I had a bunch of baby spinach I needed to use. This recipe from Taste of Home called Spiced-Up Healthy Soup looked different. I had almost all the ingredients. I had to make a substitution of brown rice for the pearl barley. It was surprising how good it was. Who knew spinach and cilantro go together. This soup is a little like chicken tortilla soup, but the rice, lentils and garbanzo beans give it a little more earthy flavor. In my opinion the original name does not describe it well enough. It should be called Salsa Chicken Soup with Spinach and Legumes. A much more appealing name for this healthy, low fat, and tasty soup.

Salsa Chicken Soup with Spinach and Legumes

Adapted from: Taste of Home recipe called Spiced-Up Healthy Soup

Makes: 14 Servings; (3-1/2 quarts)

Ingredients

1 medium onion, chopped

1/3 cup brown rice, uncooked

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons canola oil

8 cups chicken stock

1 cup water

1 large boneless skinless chicken breast

1 cup dried red lentils, rinsed

16 oz Pace chunky salsa mild

1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

8 cups fresh baby spinach

Directions

In a Dutch oven, saute onion and rice in oil until onion is tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add the broth, water, chicken and lentils; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove chicken and set aside.

Add the salsa, garbanzo beans and cilantro to soup; cover and simmer 10 minutes longer or until rice and lentils are tender.

Shred chicken with two forks. Add spinach and chicken to soup. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until spinach is wilted.

Linking to:
Carole's Chatter: Food on Fridays: Lentils & Dried Pulses