Chicken Chilaquiles Soup
I'm not typically a "Fall person"- I don't run out to snag a pumpkin spice latte as soon as they arrive or jump to buy all the pumpkin flavored candles and items that hit store shelves around this time of year. I'm a chai girl at best. But there is a season that I hold dear to my heart and that season is SOUP SEASON.
Soup season begins as soon as you can feel a nip in the air and continues for months and months and months until you can't stand to sip your dinner, which honestly, could never happen. Here in NYC we are barely into 60 degree weather and I've already been dreaming up new soup recipes to try. May I present: Chicken Chilaquiles Soup.
This recipe is a love child of my favorite Whole 30 chili and one of my favorite dishes- Chicken Chilaquiles. If you have never had Chilaquiles, it's a unique flavor of chipotle peppers and adobo sauce, typically served with chicken and various veggies. The heat in this soup is pretty incredible but I'll let you pick the level you want. Regardless of how hot you make it, this soup is guaranteed to warm you up!
Chicken Chilaquiles Soup: serves 4
TOOLS
Soup pot
frying pan
cutting board
Chopping knife
INGREDIENTS
2 large sweet potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 tbsp olive oil
1.5 cups chopped white onion (approx 1 large onion)
1 large bell pepper, any color
2 tsp Himalayan sea salt
1 tsp ground pepper
2 cans cubed tomato OR 2.5 cups fresh tomato, cubed
4 cups chicken broth (can substitute water in a pinch)
1 lb raw chicken
7oz can chipotle peppers in Adobo Sauce
13.5oz can of Coconut Cream
Fresh Cilantro
1 ripe avocado, sliced
Tortillas of your choice (optional)
Drizzle 1tbsp olive oil in the soup pot and add the sweet potatoes, with medium high heat. When the potatoes are starting to soften, add chopped onion and lower the heat to medium. After about 4 minutes, add the chopped bell pepper. Let this cook until all ingredients are softened, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
In a frying pan, cook your chicken on medium heat with the remaining 1tbsp olive oil, about 5 minutes per side (depending on the size of your chicken pieces) . When chicken is fully cooked, remove from heat and let cool.
To your soup pot add two cans of cubed tomato, including juice. Add chicken broth. Stir.
Open your can of chipotle peppers without removing the lid. With a finger over the lid, drain adobo sauce into the pot but hold back the chipotle peppers. Now is the fun part: you get to decide how spicy you want your soup.
Level zero spice: Throw all the chipotle peppers into your compost. No need for hot and spicy here and that's ok!
Level one spice: Reserve 1-2 chipotle peppers from the can and remove all seeds. You're brave but you know your limits.
Level two spice: Reserve 2-4 chipotle peppers from the can. Some like it HOT!
Level three spice: Reserve all the chipotle peppers from the can. 'CAUSE BABY YOU'RE A FI-RE-WORK!!
Remove seeds if you are at level one, then rough chop your desired amount of chipotle peppers before adding them to your soup pot.
Cut your cooled and cooked chicken into bite sized pieces.
Bring the soup to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer. Add the chicken pieces and stir. Shake the can of coconut milk before opening, and then pour the can into your soup. Cover pot, cook for 30 minutes on medium low.
In your frying pan, toast your tortillas until crispy (add a drizzle of olive oil if needed).
Serve the soup with avocado, tortillas (I like to rip them into pieces and add to my bowl!), and fresh cilantro. Que bueno!
