I have a confession to make…I don’t like chicken soup. I find it dull and a bit depressing. There, I said it. Sometimes I feel a bit strange admitting I’m not a fan of chicken soup. People look at me strangely, give me that what’s wrong with you? glance. My husband, on the other hand, loves it. Homemade, from a can, in a restaurant, with noodles, with rice — he’ll eat them all. Recently, I decided to challenge myself and try to create a chicken soup we both could enjoy. Not an easy feat, I know. First, I knew that it had to be spicy. John’s family is from Mexico, and he definitely loves heat. I wanted to create layers of bold, rich flavor. Using ancho chiles, onions, fresh corn, tomatoes and shredded chicken thighs, I was able to do just that. One spoonful of this soup and I knew I created a keeper. When John tasted it, he thoroughly agreed. This soup is perfect for chilly days like the ones we have now, when you want to warm your body from the inside out.
Spicy Chicken Soup
Makes 6 to 8 servings
What You’ll Need:
3 lbs chicken thighs, poached, skin removed and shredded 2 tablespoons canola oil 2 ears of fresh corn, kernels removed 1 large onion, chopped 1 serrano pepper, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 large ancho chiles, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes, seeded, stemmed and roughly chopped 2 teaspoons smoked paprika 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1-28 oz can of diced or crushed tomatoes 4 cups chicken stock Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 2 handfuls cilantro, roughly chopped 2 limes avocado, sliced sour cream, for garnishIn a large pot, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat. Saute the corn kernels for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the onions, garlic and serrano pepper. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the cumin and smoked paprika. Let saute for an additional 5 minutes.
In a small food processor, puree the ancho chile with some of the chicken stock until smooth. Add the ancho, tomatoes and remainder of the chicken stock to the pot. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to medium-low. Let simmer for 10 minutes, allowing flavors to combine.
Using an immersion blender, puree about half of the soup. The goal is to thicken it just a bit, but still have some pieces of onion, tomato and corn throughout. Add the shredded chicken and let simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the juice of one lime and mix in half of the chopped cilantro. Ladle the soup into bowls. Place a few slices of avocado on top, then add a dollop of sour cream. Sprinkle with cilantro, then squeeze some fresh lime over everything. Enjoy!
About 3 years ago, I went out with my mom and I had a terrible cold, and we stopped to eat at Mama Mexico’s on Broadway – I was feeling miserable so when I saw chicken soup on the menu I ordered it . . . it was spicy and not at all what I expected and so yummy!!! i never had avocados in soup before!! your chicken soup made my mouth water thinking how good this soup must be and why i haven’t thought of making chicken soup like this before – can’t wait to give it a try! (with shredded breast meat of course lol)
p.s. – ever since then, any time we go to Mama Mexico, i order the soup! seriously! lol