Chicken (or Pork) Chipotle Soup

Just in Time for National Soup Day! One of those delicious soups that puts together in less than 15 minutes. The chicken, pork, or shredded beef is precooked for a quicker meal. But the option of adding uncooked chicken is given here too … just add on an additional 15 minutes to complete the cooking process. 

Recipe

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Medium sweet yellow onion-diced
2 Cloves of garlic-minced
1/2 Roasted chicken-remove skin & bones-shred (or 2-3 cups of shredded cooked pork or beef)
1/4 Cup chipotle peppers in adobo-chopped (add more for more heat)
1 Quart chicken broth (you may use beef broth if substituting beef for the meat here)
1 Cup water
15 Ounce can chopped tomatoes
25 Ounce can of hominy-Mexican style-drained & rinsed
15 Ounce can black beans-drained & rinsed (beans are optional)
1 Small bunch cilantro-chopped-3/4 cup
1 Lime in 4 wedges

Heat the oil over medium heat in a dutch oven. Add the onion and sauté for about about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue.

Next add the chipotle peppers with adobo to the onion/garlic mix. Stir for a minute then add the cooked dark chicken meat or 3/4 cup cooked shredded pork or beef. Cook an additional minute or two to impart a meaty taste.

Add the broth, water, tomatoes, hominy, and beans if using. Heat through.

Add the additional meat and heat through.

Salt and Pepper to taste.

Stir in 1/2 cup of the cilantro and serve. Add more cilantro individually & a slice of lime if desired.

4 Servings.

For uncooked chicken:

Increase olive oil to 3 tablespoons.

2 Thighs and 1/2 large breast to two small-no skin or bones

In a dutch oven with 2 T olive oil over medium high heat add the chicken parts and cook for about 15 minutes. Turning as needed. Salt and Pepper as you go. Remove the chicken and set aside.

Using the same dutch oven over medium heat (add additional T of oil if needed) sauté the onion for about 5 minutes. Loosen the chicken bits/drippings as you go. Add the garlic and continue for about a minute. Add back the chicken meat and continue cooking until meat is nearly done. This will not take long for the breasts. Remove the meat to cool.

Add the chipotle peppers with the adobo to the onion/garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes.

Shred the chicken keeping the white and dark meat separate. Add the dark meat to the dutch oven with the other ingredients and set aside the white meat.

Now as with the first recipe:

Add the broth, water, tomatoes, hominy, and beans if using. Heat through.
Add the additional meat and heat through.
Salt and Pepper to taste.
Stir in 1/2 cup of the cilantro and serve. Add more cilantro individually & a slice of lime if desired.
4 Servings.