Chipotle Chicken Soup

The first time I made this soup, I used some sort of recipe. The next time I wanted to make it, I went back to find it again and couldn’t place it anywhere. None of my favorite cookbooks, magazines, food bloggers or recipe sites had it…so I set out to recreate it by memory. My mind created an extremely simple version but  it still tasted good. This soup is also probably the fastest yet, and super fresh. Chances are you have a lot of the ingredients in your house already.  It is easy to make a lot or a little, too. I listed the amount of ingredients I used for 4 people this time. The ingredients are definitely colorful and very flexible if you need to get rid of some leftovers… Ben absolutely loves this one. Easy dinner for tonight!

 Sauté the garlic in saucepan with just a little oil in a saucepan until they start getting fragrant but not brown. Add chicken broth and chipotle pepper with a little of the sauce. Chipotle peppers are actually dried, smoked jalapenos canned in a sweet red sauce. You don't need much of them to get the flavor/heat.  (I freeze the rest of the can by either separating the peppers in ice cube trays or in a Ziploc baggie to use in the future).  I find them in the mexican foods section of the grocery store.

 

Stir and smash the pepper against the sides of the pot to release all the juices and infuse it into the broth. The more the pepper disintegrates, the more smoky chipotle flavor and spicy-heat the broth gets. You want that, even if the broth seems a bit potent at first. (Don’t worry, the other ingredients tone it down when you combine them together).  Bring broth to a boil.

Meanwhile, chop up cooked chicken  (I used leftover breast that I cooked the night before already seasoned with chili powder, salt and pepper but you could also use rotisserie chicken), tomatoes, and avocado. Divide into individual bowls, along with a spoon of beans, corn,  and/or anything else you feel like putting in (spinach, olives, Pico de Gallo, green onions, hominy, etc.).

Sprinkle with a little lime juice. Pour boiling broth right  over the fresh ingredients and let it sit for a couple minutes. You can even top with cilantro, cheese, sour cream or tortilla strips, if desired.

Chipotle Chicken Soup

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

6 cups chicken broth

1 cooked chicken breast, chopped or shredded

1 large tomato, diced

1 avocado, diced

1 green onion, chopped

1 can black beans (rinsed)

2/3 cup frozen corn (thawed)

Lime juice

Cilantro

Sauté the garlic in saucepan with just a little oil. Add chicken broth and chipotle pepper with a little of the sauce. Stir and smash the pepper to release all the juices and infuse it into the broth. Bring to a boil.

Chop up cooked, tomatoes, and avocado. Divide into individual bowls, along with a spoon of beans, corn, green onions, and/or anything else you feel like putting in (spinach, olives, Pico de Gallo, hominy, etc.). Sprinkle with lime juice. Pour boiling broth on top of the fresh ingredients and let it sit for a couple minutes. Top with more black pepper, cilantro, cheese, sour cream or tortilla strips, if desired. Done.