Coming soon! Recently perfected! Tomato basil soup... stay tuned.
 
First Post! WAHOO! 
Fall is finally here guys. I know what that means: SOUP SEASON IS UPON US! I decided for my first blog post I would share one of my favorite soup recipes. 
 I first tried this soup at my Mexican Step-Grandma's house  It was a succulent, spicy, satisfying, belly warming masterpiece. It had so many flavor notes I couldn't begin to identify half of the ingredients. She gave me a rundown of the ingredients and method and I expanded upon that to create my own v.2.0. It is dreamy, creamy and kick-ass. When you're making soups give yourself plenty of time. Treat it like a delicious rush hour commute. Soups cannot be rushed. Generally the longer you cook a soup the more extraordinary it will be.  YOU MUST taste as you go. If you do it correctly people will go CRAZY for this shit.  Let's get started!
Prep: 60 minutes            Cook Time:  2.5 Hours            Total Time: 3.5 Hours   

Difficulty: Adept   

Makes about 10 servings of soup. 

Ingredients:
  • (approx )8 cups chicken stock
  • 2 cups torn leftover roasted chicken (if you dont have leftover chicken, use 4 boiled chicken breasts, then use stock with bullion to cook soup.)
  • 3 large ripened Avocados pitted and chopped
  • 4 vine ripened tomatoes chopped
  • 1 large red onion chopped
  • 6 cloves of garlic minced
  • Serrano peppers chopped
  • Jalapeno pepper minced
  • 1 smaller poblano pepper chopped
  • Fresh cilantro
  • 2 Limes
  • Bottle of red hot sauce (I prefer Tapatio)
  • Can of Corn
  • Can of black beans
  • 22 oz. Half and Half
  • 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
  • 1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1/4 cup chunk of velveeta
  • 1 Bag of Yellow Corn tortilla chips
  • 1 tablespoons of cumin
  • 1 table spoon of paprika
  • 1 teaspoon of chili powder
1.  Chop up 2 tomatoes, 3/4 of the red onion, the poblano pepper, Serrano peppers, and 1 avocadoo. Throw all of it in a large soup pot with the chicken stock along with the cumin, 3 cloves of minced garlic and paprika. Bring it to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer until the tomatoes start to fall apart and the onions appear slightly translucent. While waiting, move onto step 2.

2. PICO DE GALLO TOPPING TIME! Combine 1 chopped tomato, the rest of the red onion, 1/2 of a chopped avocado, a couple tablespoons of chopped cilantro and 1/2 of a jalapeno in a medium sized tupperwear. Add 1/2 of a lime's juice. Refrigerate for remainder of soup cook time. 

3. When step 1 is done, drain both the beans and corn and add them both to the soup pot.  Taste the soup so far and make sure its tasting rich. Add another tablespoon of cumin if you can't quite taste it.

4. Chop a lime in half and throw it in the soup pot. It will float. Add 5-6 shakes of your favorite hot sauce.  Check on the soup periodically and stir until the rind of the lime turns not-so-green. Remove the rind. Take your cheese and half and half out of the fridge. You do not want to mix cold dairy products in with a hot soup. It will curdle and ruin the texture. Don't f*ck up what you have worked so hard to accomplish! Take the other half of lime out. 
5. Add other half of lime, the cooked chicken and simmer for 45 more minutes. 

6. By now everything should be looking and tasting pretty awesome. Reduce the heat on your soup to low. 

7. Grab a bowl and whisk together a cup of half and half and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Set aside. This will act as a thickening agent a little later on. 

8. Wait until the soup is no longer simmering or bubbling at all. Stir in a cup of half and half slowly. Add a few more shakes of hot sauce to taste and the teaspoon of chili powder.  Let this sit on low until it begins to bubble a bit. This will probably take around 25 minutes. 

9. Remember step 7? Time to add the thickener-ner-ner. Stir it in slowly. This is where I usually add some lime zest and a little bit of chopped cilantro. This is optional but I feel it adds a unique bright flavor. Turn up a little above low and stir occasionally until the soup thickens. You may have to add a little more half and half cornstarch in order for this to happen.  
10. Once the soup is thickened, cube the Velveeta cheese and add it. Wait until its melted then a little bit at a time add the shredded cheddar. 

11. When everything is melted, serve it! Top with the previously made pico, some crushed tortilla chips, a bit of cheddar, sour cream (optional), a lime wedge, and a sprig of cilantro! 


ENJOY!