The weather is finally starting to get a little chilly in L.A so I wanted to experiment with more "comfort foods" using some of my favorite spices. I really love snuggling up with a blanket, my laptop, and a good bowl of soup when it's raining outside. - So I turned to my new favorite recipe database and found this amazing recipe for Spicy Chicken Soup.
This delicious dish is incredibly easy to prepare and flexible just in case you are inclined to make any type of modifications. I made a few in regards to the amount of spices and seasoning's used [original recipe can be found here], and I also used frozen corn in lieu of canned as I find it better suited for soups. One major modification I made was letting the soup simmer for about 45-50 minutes versus the 30 minutes the recipe called for; this allows for the perfect marriage of spices, yummy.
Spicy Shredded Chicken Soup [Adapted from All Recipes]
4 cups water
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
1 handful of chopped cilantro
1-1/2 teaspoons onion powder
2-1/2 cubes chicken bouillon
1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1-1/2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 (16 ounce) jar chunky salsa
1 (14.5 ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes
1/2 (14.5 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
1/2 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 small bag of frozen corn
1 (16 ounce) can black beans, drained
1 (16 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
1 (16 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
1/2 (8 ounce) container sour cream
Directions
In a large pot over medium heat, combine water, chicken, salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley, onion powder and bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 1 hour, or until chicken juices run clear. Remove chicken, reserve broth. Shred chicken.
In a large pot over medium heat, cook onion and garlic in olive oil until slightly browned. Stir in salsa, diced tomatoes, whole tomatoes, tomato soup, chili powder, cumin, cilantro, corn, beans, sour cream, shredded chicken and 5 cups broth. Simmer 30 minutes.
Enjoy with blue-corn tortilla chips & a dollop of sour cream!
And maybe even a little shredded cheese :-)