Southwestern Cream of Chicken Soup

By á-2063

Try this spiced-up version with tortilla chips for dipping.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 tbsp of butter
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 poblano pepper, seeded and diced
• 1/2 cup of sweet yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 6 tbsp flour (divided)
• 3 cups of low fat milk
• 2 cups of chicken broth ( or 1 cup chicken stock + 1 cup beer)
• 1/2 cup dry converted white rice
• 2-3 cups of jack cheese, shredded
• 2 cups of roasted chicken, chopped
• 2 tbsp of fresh cilantro, chopped
• Lime slices

Preparation

Step 1

Melt the butter and olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bell pepper, poblano pepper, onion, chili powder, cumin, coriander, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Sweat the mixture for 5-6 minutes or until the veggies begin to soften. Add the minced garlic, and stir constantly for 1 minute.

Whisk in 3 tablespoons of flour to coat vegetables and cook for 2 minutes. Add the broth and milk (and beer) then whisk until smooth. To prevent lumps, make sure to whisk the milk into the vegetables and flour in a slow, steady stream. Add the rice and let simmer (DO NOT LET IT BOIL) for 15-25 minutes, or until the rice is tender.


Combine the cheese with the remaining 3 tablespoons of flour in a zip lock bag; toss to coat. Coating the cheese with flour before adding to the soup helps prevent the cheese from separating in the soup. Add the cheese to the soup a handful at a time, stirring to melt completely before adding the next handful. Add chicken and cilantro to heat, 3-5 minutes. Taste the soup and re-season if needed.

Garnish each serving of soup with lime slices. Serve immediately