I.love.soup. It is the type of food I most look forward to in cold weather and what I miss most in the “dog days of summer”.  I have a house full of soup lovers. The littles have been enjoying soup ever since their wobbly little bird heads  were able to stay straight long enough to get some in their little mouths.  I was a total homemade baby food mom. It was a labor of love. I just couldn’t bring myself to buying jars of mashed meat and veggies. Blech. This was about the time my mission in life became all about whole food for my family.  Soup not only provided a break from the cooking and mashing process but also great alternative to getting vegetables into my babies bellies.

Funny story. When the twins were six months old and I was still walking on sunshine, (3 years of infertility will do that to ya)  I made a pot of chili. It was heavy on the beans and this genius (two thumbs pointing at me) was going to feed the kids some. William gobbled it up like he hadn’t eaten in a week. Well. The gas pains I had given to my son (HORRIBLE DUMB STUPID IDIOT I AM) were so bad I almost took him to the ER and when the cork finally blew…two words, TROUSER CHILI.  Take note, new moms.  Don’t feed your kids still in diapers chili. Ever.

I have a handful of soups in my rotation. This soup was discovered in my search to try a new recipe embodying flavors reminiscent of  summer. I guess this winter loving lady is starting to get a little cabin fever. I stumbled across Cooking Classy one late night when I was searching for something new to try.  I was attracted to all of her beautifully, simple dishes.  I can not wait to try her baked honey mustard chicken. YUM!

When I am looking to make something new, my personal recipe requirements are simple. I don’t like lengthy ingredient lists and I get a lady boner when I have most of the ingredients on hand. Kitchen staple blog is on the horizon. (I find simpler dishes with recognizable ingredients are very well received.)  This soup was AMAZING! My family loved it! I was craving a Corona while I ate it. Mission accomplished. My personal bit of advice would be just when you think you have enough lime, squeeze some more. It makes the soup.

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken

2 tbsp.olive oil

1 C. chopped green onions

2 jalapeño, chopped and seeded

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes

1 can black beans, drained

1 quart chicken broth

1/2 tsp. cumin

fresh cilantro, chopped

juice of 3 limes

3 avocados, peeled and diced

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Sauté green onion and jalapeño over medium heat until tender in a soup pot, about 3 minutes. I use my copper pot for soups, among other things.  He has a name.  Chester Copperpot.  Toss in the garlic and sauté for about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, cumin, chicken and salt and pepper. Bring this to a boil and reduce to a simmer and cover for 15 minutes or so.  Remove the chicken from the pot, let cool for a few minutes and then shred.

Life Hack:

I use my mixer (this mixer is one of my BFF’s in the kitchen) to shred my chicken. You can use a couple of forks to separate the meat if you prefer. The mixer takes a quarter of the time and requires little to no effort.

Return the shredded chicken to the broth and add the beans, cilantro and lime juice.  Once your soup has been bowled, go ahead and add one half diced avocado to each serving. Garnish with some more chopped fresh cilantro and lime. VOILA!

TO DIE FOR! Here is the perfect winter soup that tastes like summer!

Make some soup tonight and let me know how much you loved it!