Monday, January 27, 2014

What's cookin'? - Mexican "stoup"

What is "stoup"?

It's a thick soup - almost a stew.

Tonight I made this Black Bean Chicken Chipotle Soup and we all loved it! I'm calling it a "stoup" from now on because of the thickness of it. I guess if you wanted it a little more "liquid-y", you could just add some chicken broth. 



I found the recipe on Pinterest and it was supposed to be an easy, throw together, all-day crockpot meal. It ended up being an easy, throw together, quick dinner! The best part about it is that it uses a rotisserie chicken that you just pick up from the grocery store - cooking the chicken is already done for you. It's a keeper!

It uses several canned goods so be sure to buy that BPA -free kind, so you don't have to worry about corrosion-protecting chemicals leaching into your veggies from the can liner (yuk!). Also, because it uses a lot of canned goods, those of you watching your sodium intake may not want to try this one. You use the corn and beans with their juices - no draining, no rinsing. If you're okay with that, throw caution to the wind and go for it!

The other ingredient that this "stoup" uses is chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.
They are a wonderful add-in in many recipes. If you've never used them you'll find them in your grocery store near all of the taco stuff (they are in the little half-can). Anyway, they lend a great smoky flavor and the spicy kick to this dish. Be careful to heed my directions because they are spicy! You're going to have leftover peppers, but don't worry! They keep well in the fridge for a long time. For ideas on how to use them try: chowhound.chow.com  and type in "chipotle peppers on adobo" in the search box. You're welcome.

I served this along with a corn muffin -  and it was the perfect complement! My son recommended tortilla strips (which you can find near the croutons in the produce section)- that would be good too.
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Black Bean Chicken Chipotle Stoup
* olive oil (about 1 tablespoon)
* 1 onion, chopped
* 4 cloves garlic, chopped
* 3 cans black beans
* 2 cans corn
*1 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
* 1/2 rotisserie chicken, shredded
* Mexican blend shredded cheese
* sour cream
* chopped fresh cilantro


Heat oil over moderately high heat. Add onion and sauté until soft. Add chopped garlic, sauté until soft.

Add whole can of chipotle peppers with sauce.

Pour the liquid from corn into pot, 
rinsing the peppers of their sauce. Remove all but one of the peppers (Trust me on this one! They smell like barbecue sauce -  yummy - but they are really spicy!)

Add the corn and the cans of unrinsed, undrained beans. 

Add chicken and cook until heated through. 

Serve with shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and fresh cilantro.

Qué rico! Yum!


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