SOUTHWESTERN CHICKEN SOUP
Adapted via Kalyn’s Kitchen
Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS:
♦ 1 cup diced onion (1 small onion)
♦ olive oil
♦ 2 small to medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
♦ 2 tsp dried oregano
♦ 2 tsp ground cumin
♦ 1/2 tsp ground chile powder (New Mexico chile powder preferred)
♦ 1/2 tsp dried sage
♦ 4 to 5 cups chicken stock (homemade or store-bought)
♦ 2 (15-oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
♦ 2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo + 1 tsp adobo sauce (add more if you want a kick!)
♦ 2 cups diced leftover chicken
♦ 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
♦ salt and ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Heat the olive oil in a heavy pot until shimmering, then add the onions and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes, oregano, cumin, chile powder, sage, chipotle peppers, and stock – lower the heat to a simmer, and cook for about 60 minutes, stirring a few times.

Add the black beans, rinsing out the can with a small amount of water and adding all of the liquid. Bring back to a boil, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the chicken and simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Stir in fresh-squeezed lime juice, season with salt and pepper as desired, and cook 5 minutes more. Serve hot, with additional fresh lime to squeeze into soup if desired.

(Note: this soup tastes SO much better if made the day ahead, and allowed to chill overnight – refrigerate for up to a week of delicious soup! Reserve the lime until serving.)

To read more about this dish and my musical pairing, click HERE.