Southwest Fiesta Chicken Soup

On a cold, windy winter day, one of my favourite things to make is a hearty pot of soup. It is so versatile. There are no hard and fast rules – anything goes. Start with a good base, use what you have on hand ~ be creative!

This morning I planned on making my classic chicken and rice soup, but half a cabbage in my fridge was awaiting transformation. This led to an unintentional shift in direction.

I began with my usual chicken soup base of onion, celery and carrot and added the lonely, left-over the cabbage. The mixture was too pale for my liking so I added a jar of salsa. There was a cup of green peppers from the garden still in the freezer, so in they went. Corn added a touch of yellow and considering it is the International Year of Pulses, a can of black of beans seemed in order.

Suddenly my chicken soup had a ‘southwest fiesta’ zip to it – not what I intended, but the results were delicious! A colourful, fabulous warm-you-right-up, meal-in-a-bowl. Carbohydrates ✓ Protein ✓ Fibre ✓ Veggies ✓ Lunches for the week ahead ✓ Flavourful ✓✓✓

Give it a try! Measurements are not set in stone, but I like at least half my pot to filled with veggies. Always aim for Half Your Plate! Feel free to adjust amounts to your taste.

Southwest Fiesta Chicken Soup

P1140378

Ingredients:

2–4 cloves of garlic
1 large onion
¼ – ½ head of cabbage
4–6 carrots
2–4 stalks of celery
2 tbsp canola oil
salt & pepper to taste
2/3 cup wild rice
900 ml chicken stock
418 ml jar of salsa (mild, medium or hot)
1 ½ cups frozen corn
1 green pepper, chopped
4 + cups of water, to desired thickness
540 ml can black beans
2 – 4 cooked chicken breasts

Garnish options:

Crushed corn chips
Shredded Cheese
Sliced green onions

Directions:

Finely chop garlic and set aside.*
Dice onions, cabbage, carrots and celery.
In Dutch Oven or stock pot, warm canola oil over medium heat.
Throw in diced veggies, season with salt and pepper and sauté for about 10 minutes or until softened.
Toss in garlic, sauté additional 1–2 minutes.
Add rice, chicken stock, salsa, corn, green pepper and water.
Cover the pot, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30–45 minutes.
Drain and rinse beans, dice chicken. Stir into soup . Warm thoroughly.
Serve as is or garnish with corn chips, shredded cheese & green onion.

Note:

*Pro-tip for garlic from Professional Home Economist Mairlyn Smith – “For its antioxidants to become more bioavailable, garlic needs to oxidize before it is added to a recipe. By letting it sit there “breathing” the oxidation can take place.”