Tag Archives: soup

Mexican Chicken Lime Soup

Sometimes, I like the cold. Sure, you think I’m crazy and that’s okay but as tired of the cold as I get by the end of winter, there are those moments when I enjoy it. I don’t like bundling up in a thick coat and layer myself up with gloves, a scarf and hat only to drive around town running errands feeling like Randy from A Christmas Story. But I do like the way the cold air makes me feel especially like on a clear and sunny blue sky day. The cold can be invigorating. It can also be brutal, I know. Cold days are the quintessential time to make a warm and spicy soup like Mexican Chicken Lime Soup.

Chicken thighs are cooked with onions and garlic before simmering with broth and chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Cilantro, lime juice, avocado, and crushed tortilla chips add even more flavor to this comforting soup which really warms you up from the inside out. The chipotle peppers in adobo sauce really give this soup a vibrant kick while the avocado provides a creamy coolness. Also, the lime juice adds a welcome hint of citrus. Corn, black beans, or red and green pepper would be welcome additions but are unnecessary. This quick soup is flavorful enough that you’ll enjoy its bold simplicity. Go ahead, bundle up and eat this soup outside in the cold. Just kidding.

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In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, lower the heat to medium and cook until the onion begins to brown, about 7 minutes. Increase the heat to high, push the vegetables to the side of the pan, add the chicken and cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes.

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Stir in the chipotles and adobo sauce, then stir in the chicken broth.

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Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, skimming any foam. Stir in the cilantro and lime juice; season with salt and pepper.

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Place 2 avocado slices in each of 6 soup bowls and pour in the soup. Top with the tortilla chips.

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Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Like It

Source: Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine

Kale, Bean and Sausage Stew

Here we go again with the Olympics.  I feel like it was not so long ago when I was writing about how I was spending my entire Saturdays and Sundays watching the summer Olympics.  My how time flies.  Before the opening ceremonies on Friday, I started to watch the very first competitions on Thursday but just couldn’t do it.  I was so sick of the cold and snow and ice that the last thing I wanted to do was watch it on TV.  But then the opening ceremonies happened and my patriotic spirit was tapped and I’ve been glued to events I wouldn’t normally think twice about ever since. I’d been excited all week to spend some time in my kitchen making some good food this weekend but when Saturday came and I got sucked into figure skating, I suddenly didn’t want to be in the kitchen.   Fortunately, this Kale, Bean & Sausage Stew was so simple that I didn’t have to work too hard and it basically cooked itself.

Smoked sausage, cannellini beans, and kale are cooked with fire-roasted tomatoes to make a hearty and flavorful stew. Smoked paprika (which you may remember is my favorite spice ever) adds another layer of smokiness making this stew hit a smoky trifecta.  The sausage and creamy beans give this stew some real heft while the kale adds an earthy yet fresh addition (the recipe calls for swiss chard but any leafy green will do). This stew came together quickly and was everything I could have asked for in a stew.  It was the perfect warm lunchtime meal to be slurping down while I sat on my couch cuddled up in blankets watching the Olympics.

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In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until golden, about 7 minutes. Add the sausage and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and paprika and cook for 1 minute.

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Stir in the tomatoes and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until almost dry, 2 minutes. Add 6 cups water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, stir in the beans and simmer for 15 minutes.

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Stir in the greens and simmer until tender, about 5 minutes.

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Season with salt and pepper.

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Additions: None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

  • Kale

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine

Tex-Mex Chicken Soup

I’m not sure where you live but where I live, it’s been downright cold.  Friday we got 8 inches of snow and I woke up Saturday morning to the temperature outside being only 5 degrees.  I had plans to go to a football game later that day which meant walking around in layers and layers of clothing.  Those are the kind of days where the cold just permeates you and you can’t escape it.  Even in the comfort of home and my running heater, I was always chilled.  The best way to warm up on days like that is to warm up from the inside.  This Tex-Mex Chicken Soup is a perfect way to beat the cold.

Onion, garlic, red pepper, and jalapeño are sautéed in olive oil until soft and fragrant before being mixed together with vibrant spices of chili powder, cumin and crushed red pepper.  This mixture becomes the basis for this soup which adds precooked rotisserie chicken, corn, broth, tomatoes, and black beans (which I only left out because I thought I had them on hand when I didn’t).  The result is a bold and flavorful tex-mex soup that is a perfect soup to warm your soul.  I wish I would have had the beans to add in but even without them, this was a very satisfying soup.  Plus, there is something very satisfying about having a pot of soup simmering on your stove on a frigid day.  It’s like that little mixture of ingredients not only warms your body, but the scent warms your home too.

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The ingredients:

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Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil, onion, and next 3 ingredients; sauté 3 minutes. Add chili powder and next 4 ingredients; sauté 30 seconds.

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Add chicken and next 4 ingredients; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 6 minutes.

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Top evenly with cilantro and queso. Serve with lime.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:

  • Black beans
  • Queso fresco

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Cooking Light magazine

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