Rain has returned to the Pacific Northwest in full force. It's not particularly cold but it's back to being gray and wet all day long, which means it's soup weather. Soup is miraculous; you can make it out of anything, extend it with more stock or veggies if you end up with a crowd, it warms your body and soul, and it makes your house smell amazing! I've made cream of celery soup when I was gifted with several bunches of celery. I made turkey stock from the carcass of the bird my grandma roasted for Thanksgiving. I developed my borscht recipe as a result of someone giving me beets (see a pattern?).
In this case, no one gave me any of the ingredients. I was trawling through the fridge and the pantry, looking for inspiration, and my eye was caught by the green chilies and the white beans. I remembered I had some chicken in the fridge I needed to use up and I realized I could make a Mexican seasoned soup.
Ingredients:
About a pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, cubed
One onion, diced
A teaspoon or so of minced garlic
1 small can of minced green chilies
2 cans of white beans
About 8 cups of chicken stock
Cumin, oregano, chili powder, salt and pepper, to taste
Fresh lime juice, to taste
Sour cream on the side for garnish
In a large stockpot over medium high heat, heat a little oil and saute the chicken with the onion, until the chicken is lightly browned and the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and about a teaspoon each of the cumin and oregano, a sprinkle of chili powder and a pinch or two of salt (you'll taste and adjust the seasonings after the soup has simmered and before serving). Add the canned chilies and canned beans, including the liquid and then add the chicken stock. Bring the soup to a simmer--don't boil it. Let it simmer for 10 or 15 minutes and then taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Let simmer for another 10 or 15 minutes. Add fresh squeezed lime juice immediately before serving.
Serve tortilla chips and sour cream on the side as a garnish.
Cook's Notes:
1. Let's discuss body part: chicken thighs versus chicken breasts. Chicken thighs are less expensive and they're more flavorful and more moist. Chicken breasts are more expensive, don't have as much inherent flavor and they dry out more quickly. If you don't know how to properly cook chicken breasts, you end up with dry, flavorless chicken jerky. Ick. However. I like chicken breast meat in soup and if you gently saute the cubed chicken and then let it simmer in well seasoned liquid, the chunks should be tender and flavorful.
2. Make sure you don't over-salt the soup. Cans and cartons of stock and paste and cubes of bouillon tends to be quite high in sodium. Look for low-sodium options and then taste BEFORE you add more salt.
3. I gave you general guidelines for the amounts of cumin, oregano, and chili powder. Taste is subjective. I may have said that before and I know I'll repeat myself in the future. Start with less because you can always add more. That goes for the lime juice and the garlic as well.
4. Unless I'm making a salad of some kind, I don't rinse canned beans since the liquid is starchy and it helps thicken the soup. And yes, I use canned beans. I know cooking my own from "scratch" is probably less expensive but I have extremely limited counter space and storage areas at this point in my life. If you watch the sales, you can find great deals on canned beans and stock up.
I hope you like the soup. I initially made it for my previous meal clients and they enjoyed it so much that she called me in the middle of their dinner to compliment me and then texted me later for the recipe so she could pass it along to her stepfather. Add a green salad and fresh cornbread to make a simple, delicious meal.
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