Spicy Southwestern Chicken Soup

Get out your best soup/stock pot for the stovetop, or fire up your big crockpot -- this hearty, so-spicy (and gluten-free!) soup will feed your crew during the potluck or big game. The recipe below makes about 12 servings. You can easily cut it in half. Leftovers freeze well, too.

Ingredients: for the skillet

1 sweet onion, minced

6-8 garlic cloves, minced (2 Tablespoons)

1 can (15 oz. corn), frozen or canned, drained

1 finely chopped jalapeno pepper, de-seeded

1 Tablespoon butter

Ingredients: straight to the pot

1 lb. shredded or chopped chicken (use rotisserie or leftover roasted chicken)

2 cans (30 oz) black beans, drained

1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes

1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chilies

2 quarts chicken broth (I used half broth and half stock for more richness)

Ingredients: spices

1 Tablespoon dried cilantro

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 finely chopped red chili pepper, with seeds

Preparation

- In a skillet on medium-high heat, melt a Tablespoon of butter. Add garlic and onion -- stir and cook until onion is translucent and starting to brown. Empty into pot when done.

- Add your corn and jalapeno to the skillet. Stir and cook until corn is starting to brown/char. Empty into pot when done.

- Add broth to the pot and all of the spices. Stir to mix well.

- Add the rest of your "straight to the pot" ingredients (chicken, tomatoes, beans).

- Stir carefully to mix well.

Cooking

If you're making this in a stock pot on the stove: Cover the pot and let simmer over low heat for at least two hours, to let your flavors mingle. Stir occasionally.

If you're making this in a crockpot or slow cooker: Cover and cook 5 hours. It gets better as it sits and stews -- we kept it on low/warm for several hours after cooking and ended up having it for two meals!

Serving

Serve with a table-top of accompaniments people can choose from, including: tortilla strips, corn chips, fresh cilantro, avocado slices, sour cream, plain Greek yogurt, pickled jalapenos. I served it with a cast iron skillet of corn bread and honey spread -- which pretty much makes this meal perfection.

A Little Backstory

Me: The red chili pepper is hotter than a habanero.; be careful chopping it.

Brian: ---

Me: Maybe you should wear gloves to handle that pepper. It's very hot.

Brian: ---

Me: Don't touch your eyes; the oil from that pepper is super hot.

Brian, tasting pepper on his finger: Oh jeez, that's really hot!!

Me: ---

Brian, coughing: That pepper is hot!!

Me: You don't say.