Thursday, November 11, 2010

Suzie's Spicy Chicken Soup

Eddie, the cook at a restaurant I used to work at, made the most delicious spicy chicken soup. I'm talkin' make your nose run from the jalapenos spicy. So warm it could chase the chill out of any winter day.

I've been craving it lately, so I created my own less spicy version. After all, I wanted normal people to be able to enjoy it too. So here's my version of Spicy Chicken Soup:

1. Chop onions, celery and carrots into chunks that are about equal in size. You can go big or small - whatever you like.

2. Heat a large pot over medium high heat on the stove top.

3. Cover the hot pot's bottom with olive oil. (About two tablespoons or two spins around the pot.)

4. When it's hot, drop the veggies in. Let them soften about 7 minutes. If they start to brown, turn the heat down.


5. Meanwhile, peel and chop three garlic cloves and a jalapeno. Chop more if you're feeling extra spicy.

6. Add them to the pot. Let them soften just about two minutes. Not too long. You don't want your garlic to brown. Stir.

7. Add salt and pepper.

8. Next, add a skinned (Eat the delicious skin first!) cooked chicken to the pot. You can buy one already cooked at the supermarket or roast one yourself.

9. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the chicken. Stir.


10. Cover the pot and let it simmer for about an hour.

11. With tongs, scrape the chicken from the bones. Then discard the bones.

12. Taste the broth. If it's not chicken-y enough for you, add a bullion cube.

13. Keep simmering until the chicken becomes shredded and chunky.

14. Chop lots of fresh parsley. Add it to the soup.


If you want to kick up the spice, add more jalapeno and of course, salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy this spicy twist on a classic! So...what soup do you crave?

Suzie

3 comments:

  1. Any soup that you make:)
    Made an Italian Meatball Soup Monday.
    Was great! Made me realize how much I miss soups!

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  2. I am cooking this soup right at this VERY MOMENT (curently at simmer stage). I have had a sore throat for over a month and have been feeling particularly crappy this week, so I'm skipping rehearsal tonight in favor of rest and some healing soup. I can't wait! On deck: the Holla Peno Mac n Cheese sometime this weekend. Love ya, Suze!

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  3. This has become my staple this winter. I have probably made it 10 times since you posted it, and everyone at work knows what I will be eating for lunch. I am not tired of it yet because I keep playing with the recipe. Here are a couple of my variations:

    1) I was having trouble getting it spicy enough for my taste - even with 3 jalpenos (maybe our jalapenos are lamer on the east coast?). So today I made it with 2 habneros. Perfect!

    2) For a southwesterny flavor, I used those 3 jalapenos, used a bunch of cilantro instead of parsely, and also added the juice of 1 lime at the end.

    I swear my fingernails are thicker and stronger from all the good stuff cooked out of the chicken bones...

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