Saturday, March 21, 2020

Southwest Chicken and Vegetable Soup


I love creating soup from what's in my cabinets and fridge and during this unsettling time in history,  soup is one of the ultimate comfort foods. Throwing some veggies and chicken into a pot and transforming them into a filling and tasty meal is good for the soul.

The first thing I did, was to look into the refrigerator vegetable drawer and see what was available. There were carrots, a jalapeno, 1/2 of an onion, 1/2 of a red bell pepper and a bunch of some sorry looking scallions.  Those items were cleaned, chopped and joined by 3 cloves of garlic.

I grabbed a package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts and let them thaw for about an hour. Using a sharp knife, I cut them into bite sized pieces, drizzled a little olive oil over them and added 1 tablespoon of  Penzey's Chili 9000. I tossed that together, placed it on a foil lined baking sheet, placed it into a 375 degree oven and roasted for 20 minutes.

In the meantime, I sauteed the vegetables in olive oil with some of the Penzey's Chili 9000. The spice added a Middle Eastern touch to the soup. I also added some Savory Spice Pasilla Negro Chile Powder for a little more heat. I had some Masa in my baking cabinet, so I added it as a thickener. If you don't have Masa, you can leave it out.

This recipe, like most of mine, is meant as a path to create a meal with what is available in your home. Here are links for the spices I used:
penzeys.com
savoryspiceshop.com


Southwest Chicken and Vegetable Soup


2 to 3 cups cooked, chopped chicken
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/3 cup chopped white onion
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
4 large carrots, sliced
6 scallions, sliced
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp Penzey's Chili 9000
1 Tbsp. Savory Spice Pasilla Negro Chile Poweder
4 cups chicken stock
2 Tbsp. Masa (optional)
1 can chopped green beans, drained
1 cup frozen vegetable mix, thawed (my blend had corn and black beans)

Saute the vegetables and spices in olive oil until softened. Add chicken stock, cooked chicken and Masa, bring to a boil and reduce heat, simmer for 1 hour.
Add green beans and thawed frozen vegetables, heat through and serve.