Warm Soup on Cold Nights

Well. Not really cold nights. It was chilly for a few days, and I was required to wear a jacket. I was excited about this.

Today, I was back in sleeveless shirts. Because it's Louisiana.

Whatever the weather, it's a good idea to eat chicken enchilada soup. Who doesn't like it? It's got a bunch of tasty components, and can be as thick or as thin as you like. The soup is tasty on it's own, but what really makes it are the garnishes- my favorites are a dollop of sour cream, some chopped scallions, and perhaps some shredded cheddar.

Chicken Enchilada Soup:

• 2 tablespoons of olive or canola oil
• 1 pound of skinless, boneless chicken, white or dark, depending upon preference
• 1 white onion, chopped
• One 15 oz. can stewed tomatoes, chopped
• One 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 1 4 oz. can of diced green chilies
• 1 and 1/2 cup frozen white or yellow corn
• 1-49 oz. carton low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup of water
• 1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat one tablespoon of oil in a 12-inch skillet. Cut the chicken into tenders by slicing each piece with the grain. I normally use chicken breasts, but you can use dark meat if you like. Once in the oil is shimmering, add the chicken slices and cook thru. Allow it to brown nicely on both sides.

Remove the chicken from the pan and allow to rest on a plate for fifteen minutes. After this time, shred with a couple of forks.

While the chicken is resting, heat the other tablespoon of oil in the bottom of a large pot. After it's hot, add the onion. Stir around until it's starting to brown and is soft.  

Add the chopped stewed tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, chilies, corn, chicken broth, water, chili powder, and cumin to the pot. Bring to a boil.

Cover the pot and reduce the heat, allowing the mixture to remain at a simmer. Simmer for 2 and 1/2 hours, stirring ever so often to make sure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot. If for some reason the soup has gotten thick (it shouldn't have, but this happens occasionally) add some water to thin it back out.

Add the cooked shredded chicken and the drained black beans. Simmer for another 40 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with your favorite garnishes.

Some garnish ideas:
Chopped red onion
Chopped scallion
Cilantro
Flat-leaf parsley

Sour cream
Monterrey jack, cheddar, mozzarella, or whatever you favorite cheese is
Fresh chopped tomatoes
Whatever other tasty garnish you can think of.

Enjoy!

Soon- candied kumquat slices, beet salad with champagne vinaigrette, and maybe even something involving turnips! Probably not all at once.