Cheesy Chipotle Chicken Soup

For such a temperate Christmas, it turned cold outside here in Dallas all the sudden, and the forecast even called for snow today! We didn't get any, but it's safe to say we're well into soup season. That's a blessing and a curse for us. A curse because the co-packer that we had engaged to produce our sauce recipes delayed us indefinitely because their traffic went up to keep up with soup season. A blessing because it made us get creative in the kitchen with some leftovers we had that yielded a soup with tons of flavor that's keto friendly, and hearty enough to keep you satisfied. This one started with leftover chicken we had previously cooked with our new Pecking Order™ blend. The only real challenging part of this soup is the fact that it begins with that leftover chicken — you've got to wait until you've added the chicken and let it cook to finish seasoning it, so it incorporates the seasoning already on the chicken you're using. Feel free to use any grilled chicken you have on hand; we just happened to have a couple of Pecking Order™ boneless skinless breasts in the refrigerator (hot tip, if you're cooking chicken in the days before, add some extra and put this into your meal plan). We promise you won't regret it! Whether you are under the weather or just looking for a quick way to warm up, soup is always a great choice for a meal, especially when it’s hearty and filled with great ingredients. Take some of the leftovers from your larger meals, like leftover chicken, and do what we did and turn it into a completely new dish like cheesy chipotle chicken soup that has great spice flavors that you will love. Take some leftover chicken, give it a touch of our Pecking OrderⓇ blend and turn leftovers into something delicious.#SpiceConfidently #EssenceOfFlavor #CasaMSpice

— Mike Hernandez

ingredients

FOR THE SOUP

4 Tablespoons butter
1 7 oz can chipotles in adobo
1 cup red onion, diced
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin powder
4 cups chicken broth
1-1/2 pounds leftover grilled chicken, diced into bitesize pieces
8 oz cream cheese
3 cups cojack cheese, shredded (we used Boar's Head triple pepper cojack)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Casa M Spice Co™ Pecking Order™ or Uncontrolled Pecking Order™
Casa M Spice Co™ Chain Reaction™ or Uncontrolled Chain Reaction™

FOR THE GARNISH

Fresh Cilantro, whole leaves
Ripe Avocado, diced coarsely
Sour Cream
Red Onion, diced fine

FEATURED QUOTE

The only real challenging part of this soup is the fact that it begins with that leftover chicken — you've got to wait until you've added the chicken and let it cook to finish seasoning it, so it incorporates the seasoning already on the chicken you're using.

- Mike Hernandez

LET’S GET COOKING

1.
In a large thick-bottomed pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
2.
Add the onions and garlic and cook until they are transluscent (about 5-10 minutes depending on the pan).
3.
Add the chipotles and adobo sauce, cumin, and broth. Mix thoroughly and bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer.
4.
Add the cream cheese and mix thoroughly, then add the chicken and let simmer for 10-15 minutes. At this point, it's important to adjust the seasonsings to taste. Our suggestion is to use Pecking Order™ (for the black pepper flavors) first, then Chain Reaction™ (for the salty flavors)
5.
Add 2 cups of the cheese, let it melt and mix well then remove from the heat.
6.
Add chopped cilantro and mix, then ladel into oven-safe bowls.
7.
Split up remaining shredded cheese and sprinkle on top before placing briefly under the broiler (or grill as our British friends call it) to melt and brown the cheese on top.
8.
Serve with garnishes available for each individual to add as desired.