chicken soup

Over the holidays I was not feeling well, and a sweet friend was kind enough to bring us dinner one night. She brought us this delicious chicken soup, and as soon as my husband and I tried it, we just had to have the recipe. It has just a slight tortilla soup flavor because of the cumin and chilis, but is not overwhelmingly southerwestern/mexican in flavor and is not hot and spicy unless you add hot chilis or the jalepeno. I made it with a can of mild diced tomatoes and chilis (rotel), and it wasn't hot or spicy at all; it just had a mild but flavorful taste. This soup is a great blend of vegetables and chicken, is very healthy (besides the butter!), super easy to make, and is quite satisfying. You must try it!

Recipe from Antoinette

I N G R E D I E N T S :

1 lb chicken, cooked and cut up
1/2 stick butter
1 onion, chopped
2 cups celery, cut down middle and chopped*
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups water and 6 chicken bullion cubes, or 6 cups of chicken broth (or more of each if you want more broth)
1-2 cups baby carrots, sliced
2 or so cups diced new potatoes, yellow steaming potatoes, or fingerling potatoes (these are especially cute in the soup when cut up because you can just slice them up into little circles),
1 can rotel (I used mild because I did not want the soup to be hot), (or you may use 1 jalepeno pepper with the seeds removed and a diced tomato or two)
1/2 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper to taste
Corn-either frozen, or 4 ears of corn, cut off the cobb
1 Avocado, sliced (optional)

*As with most soups, the amount of meat and vegetables can be adjusted according to how thick you like the soup.

D I R E C T I O N S :

Boil or poach chicken until cooked through. Once it is cooked, either chop or shred it.

While the chicken is cooking, assemble the rest of the soup in a large pot or dutch oven, and keep on a simmer the entire time.

Melt the butter, and then saute the onion until transparent.

Add chopped celery and garlic and saute a for a few minutes with the onion (or add garlic afterwards with rest of ingredients).

Add water and bullion cubes, or the broth.

Add potatoes, can of rotel (or jalepeno and tomatoes), garlic if not added yet, salt and pepper, cumin, and corn.

Add shredded/chopped chicken into soup.

Let simmer for about 20 minutes, until potatoes and carrots are soft, but not overcooked.

Add avocado into individual bowls on top of soup, rather than into the pot, at time soup is served. I love avocado, but if you don't care for it, just leave it out.

Great served with tortilla chips, wonton crisps, or crackers.