Beginner cook: Easy Southwest Chicken Soup

[Aquaria]

Lots of people these days aren’t much on cooking, but now they may need to know some basics because they can’t get their frozen/processed favorites or they need to make food stores last longer.

It doesn’t mean cooking has to be time-consuming or complicated, though. This recipe uses things from a pantry/freezer and some convenience ingredients to make a healthy dinner in about ten minutes.

In a large Dutch oven, put in:

16 ounces roasted or rotisserie chicken cut up. You can also use canned chicken breast meat, frozen chicken breasts or, to really go with the Southwest theme, frozen fajita strips warmed up first!

32 ounces low-sodium chicken broth.

1 14.5 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

1.5 cups frozen corn kernels -or- 1 14.5 ounce can of whole kernel corn.

2 cans of Mexican diced tomatoes with green chiles. I use Rotel.

1/2 of a medium onion diced.

2 tsp minced garlic -or- 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp salt (less if using canned ingredients)

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp chipotle powder, less if you want milder soup. You can substitute this with cayenne or a couple of dashes of Cholula or Tabasco hot sauce.

Cook on the stove on medium high until it boils, then lower the heat to simmer. Serve when it stops bubbling (careful! Hot!)

If you like, top it with some sliced avocados crushed tortilla chips or a Mexican blend shredded cheese.

That’s it.

Normally, I make a more involved Southwest chicken soup, but this is for those days when we’re in a hurry, or “Oh come on—the meat for what I was going to make still isn’t thawed!” Or, more likely, “Crap, I forgot to take out that pot roast from the freezer!”

It takes no more time than putting on pasta and opening a jar of (ew!) processed sauce, and it’s a whole lot healthier than that.

[Aquaria]

1. Note...

You’re not locked into black beans and corn as the veggies. If we’re out of one or the other, we’ve used pinto beans, kidney beans, nopalitos (cactus pads—YUM), or tomatillos as substitutes. My Mexican artist pal substitutes the corn with pozole, AKA hominy. I hate the stuff, but if you like it, give it a try!

You can also use shrimp, turkey or pork chops instead of chicken.

Go with what you prefer or have!

[brewens]

2. I have vowed to never buy another can of soup, which I used to a lot. I make all my

own chicken noodle and chili and freeze most of it. I was looking for something like a taco soup. This looks perfect because it uses chicken and I always have that.

I found out how worthless canned soup was. The usual cheap store brand chicken noodle and tomato anyway. My cost is more, but the extra nutritional value is off the charts, plus it's so much better.

[Aquaria]

3. We started making our own

Because the husband and I both have hypertension and the amount of sodium in canned soup is shocking. Some of them, it’s the max we can have for an entire day!

And like you said, it may be a little more expensive and time consuming, but not all that much more. Plus, the health and plain better flavor factors.

I don’t miss the canned stuff at all.

[Retrograde]

5. I keep canned soups around for emergencies

Living in earthquake country, I want something that will last a few years, won't be too damaged if it falls on the floor, doesn't require any additional water, and in a pinch can be consumed cold from the can. But I make my own stocks and soups these days: I was replacing the earthquake stock this week and astonished to see how much sodium the canned stuff contains.

[Mollyann]

4. Other veg

I like to put sliced carrots and yellow squash in mine.