Cooking Lesson #XXX: Creamy Spiced Chicken Soup With Salsa Verde

… from the California Kitchen

How you doin’? I love hearty soups especially during the colder months of winter—actually, any time. This recipe is a cross between a hearty soup and a white chili. I started out trying to make a white chili and just got carried away.
 
Soups are funny things… it’s really hard to make a bad soup. I always loved the story of the Russians Cossacks and Stone Soup. Stone Soup is a European folk tale in which hungry strangers with only two large stone convinced the people of a small town’s populous to each share a small amount of their food in order to enhance the flavor of their stone soup that everyone could enjoy. It exists as a moral regarding the value of sharing.
 
So let me share my recipe of Creamy Spiced Chicken Soup with you—no stones required. It’s fragrant, excites your taste buds and warms the cockles of your heart. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and shredded pepper Jack cheese.
 
Prep time:  30 minutes
Cook time:  25 minutes
Simmer time: 2 hours
Yield:  8 servings (can easily be cut in half)

 
Ingredients 
2 pounds roasted or rotisserie chicken, skinned and boned, pulled into large chunks
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup green chopped bell peppers
1 cup red chopped bell peppers, chopped
1/4 cup diced jalapeño peppers
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 tablespoon dried minced shallots
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 cups chicken stock
8 ounces jarred salsa verde (green salsa)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
4 diced tortillas (or 1 cup of Fritos Corn Chips for a toastier flavor)
2 cans (15.5 ounces) white chili beans
Garnish each bowl with 1 tablespoon sour cream and 1 ounce shredded pepper Jack cheese.
 
Directions

1. Pull and skin the chicken meat; set aside. (See ChefSecret for alternate proteins)
2. In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave the cream cheese on high power until soft, about 20 seconds.
3. Add the half-and-half and whisk until completely mixed; set aside.
4. Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add bell peppers, jalapeños and garlic; sauté until soft, 5 to 7 minutes.
5. Sprinkle the flour over the sautéed peppers and garlic; stir to combine.
6. Add the dried shallots, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper.
7. Add the cooked chicken, cream cheese mixture, chicken stock, salsa, cumin, oregano, and tortillas; bring to a boil to slightly thicken.
8. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.
9. Add the chili beans and simmer for another hour.

ChefSecret:  You can use any leftover chicken that you may have in the refrigerator, just discard the bones, skin and breading. You can also use 2 pounds of browned ground chicken or turkey meat.

Quip of the Day: “We might be older now, but I have the satisfaction of knowing that I had great hair, listened to the coolest music, and drove the best car.”
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. In this New Year, seek out the good in people and avoid conflict. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America.

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