Home Cooking Heroes Spotlight: Peter's Smoky Chipotle Chicken Soup

Petie & I during his visit in May

You guys probably all remember Peter from his Home Cooking Heroes debut, when he taught us how to make amazing scallops. Or perhaps you recall him more recently from his podcast on how to make awesome salsa?

Well folks, we are in luck once more, as he has shared his photos and recipe on how to make a Tangy Tomato-Chipotle soup with chicken and veggies!!

Unlike normal, I'll put the ingredients list at the top (the full recipe will follow the photos as always):

Ingredients:
- 1 qt of tomato purée
- 2 cups of chicken broth
- 2 cups diced boneless chicken
- Frozen (or fresh) mixed veggies
- 2 Reconstituted dried chipotle peppers
- 2 teaspoons of cilantro purée
- Sour cream (or plain yogurt)
- Salt, black pepper, onion powder, white pepper, oregano

(Peter adds that you can use regular cilantro, but that it tends to stick to your teethy weefys. Howevz, that's up to you!)

The photo post is in Petie Pie's own words:

I like using a heavy enameled pot for soups. Even heating, good for low and slow!

Some of the ingredients you will need.

Tomatoes/purée. 

There are some whole tomatoes in there, left over from a salsa effort. 

But canned purée will do fine.

Peter's chosen broth. (2 Cups)

Combine tomato purée and chicken broth and bring to a low simmer.

Reconstituted chipotles. They were nicely spicy but not with an overpowering heat. 

Good smokeyness.

Add the 2 chipotle peppers with seeds (stems off obviously) chopped roughly.

Also add 1 heaping tablespoon of sour cream/yogurt and 2 teaspoons of cilantro puree.

Blend! This also helps to break down the chipotles.

Chop up 2 cups of chicken (diced/cubed) and put in soup.

Add teaspoon of salt & teaspoon (approximate) black pepper.

Sprinkle onion powder, oregano and white pepper to taste.

Cover and cook chicken on medium heat for 20 mins. 

Add in veggies, I used about a heaping cup frozen, cook 5 more minutes.

Doesn't that look yummy?

Soup on spoon :D

Soup ready to eat.

"Smoky, spicy, tangy, hearty and rich. Yums to the umms!

Dee-lish :D"

I don't know about you, but I love his final words on the soup.

That alone makes me want to try making it!

Recipe Directions:

Combine tomato purée and chicken broth and bring to a low simmer.
Add the 2 chipotle peppers with seeds (stems off obviously) chopped roughly.
Add 1 heaping tablespoon of sour cream/yogurt
Add teaspoon or salt & teaspoon (approximate) black pepper.
Add in 2 teaspoons cilantro puree.
Sprinkle onion powder, oregano and white pepper to taste.
I used a stick/immersion blender to break combine everything and break down the chipotles.
Place on medium heat until simmering, not a rolling boil.
Take 2 cups (I used 4 thin chicken breasts) of diced/cubed chicken and put into soup.
Cover pot and return to medium flame/temperature for 15- 20 mins.
After 20 mins the chicken will be fully cooked.
Reduce to low heat, add frozen mixed veggies (I used corn, peas & green beans).
Cover for 5 minutes. Done!

Alternatively for a more vegetarian version:

Instead of chicken broth you can use veggie broth.
Instead of chicken pieces you can use extra firm tofu but add near the end of the process.
You can always add tortellini or other pasta to the soup.
Fresh peas, corn, carrots, zucchini, etc -  all can be substituted for the frozen stuff.
Make sure that the fresh veggies get *at least 15 minutes* in a medium simmer before serving.

Yippie!! Thank you Petie Pie!! :)  

Enjoy!

-Val! (& Peter:)