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Saturday, February 08, 2014

What’s Cookin’?! Chicken Taco Soup!

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This has been a really nice break with two weeks at home to enjoy family, home and FOOD!

It’s also been a really busy week with getting the pdf pages of my new book edited and “JUST SO.”  Talk about Stress!

I’ve been through this enough times to know how I deal with stressful situations ---so before a 2 hour long phone call to my editor Jenifer, ((who’s blog you can find at http://www.42quilts.com/ and who I will be doing a blog tour and give-away featuring HER new book, The Modern Applique Workbook in just a few days…whooot!)) I spent some mindless thinking time in the kitchen chopping and dicing and adding and mixing.

It all started with a left-over rotisserie chicken from a couple nights before.

The poor chicken lasted two meals ---and when I was left with nothing but the wings and the carcass…into the stock pot it went.  There is nothing like boiling down a left-over chicken for your own yummy broth.

At this point I wasn’t even sure what I was going to turn it into ----but basics are basics.

While at the grocery store for something else, the idea hit….pick up some cans of beans, some green chilies, some diced tomatoes – and we would soon be having chicken taco soup for dinner.

Here is that yumminess while it was just starting to simmer in my crock pot:

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Looking good, already!

You could use canned chicken and canned chicken broth, but why bother? Too much salt in that.  just break that chicken carcass into pieces, cover it with about 4 cups of water or so and simmer it until all the meat falls off the bones.  Strain the broth into a container, separating it from the meat and bones and put it in the fridge to chill overnight.  The fat, what little there is, will rise to the top and solidify so you can easily discard the fat from off the broth.

While simmering, you can season your broth, but I didn't -- because at this time I didn't know what it was going to become.

When cool enough to handle, comb through the meat and bones, pulling the chicken meat into shreds and discarding any bones or cartilage or undesirable bits.  At this point I usually put the good chicken meat into a ziplock bag in the fridge next to my container of broth that is chilling and save it for the next day.

To make the chicken taco soup, place the broth and the chicken meat into a crock pot and add:

I  15 oz can dark red kidney beans, drained
1 15 oz can black beans, drained
1 sm can peeled and diced green chilies
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes with juice (the whole can, do not drain)
2 ribs of celery, diced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 carrots, thinly sliced into rounds
1 small package of frozen white sweet corn
1 package taco seasoning mix

Let simmer on high for 2 hours.  Check salt content and add more if desired.

I don't often use canned beans, and this can be made with dried beans if you start the process the day before by soaking the dry  beans overnight while chilling the broth.  This recipe is really versatile!

If using dry beans, you'll want to cook the beans until they are tender BEFORE adding the tomatoes to the broth as the acid in tomatoes can prevent beans from softening up during the cooking process.  No one likes hard beans in their soup!

Serve with crushed tortilla chips, garnish with shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream.

My son Jeff just gobbled this up, two bowls full!  It is really very, very good and a great way to use up that leftover roast chicken!

I am adding this recipe to my Recipes tab found at the top of the blog!  Have you checked it out lately? There are recipes there for many of my favorites!
  
I’m sitting at the airport waiting to board my flight from Greensboro to Washington/Dulles.  It’s just amazing to me that I can have breakfast and lunch at home and be in Phoenix before bed time!m

Enjoy the rest of your Saturday, everyone!


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21 comments:

  1. Bonnie, that soup sure looks good. Will be trying it next time I use chicken. Hope you have a good trip. Can't wait to see you pictures of you groups to see what they are doing. Safe journey.
    Linda Hodges

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  2. This is similar to one I make, but it start with 2 frozen breasts and then dump cans of beans, corn and or-tel tomatoes on top. It's so simple and yummy!

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  3. I always make my own chicken broth as well. But I also always season the broth with an onion, celery and carrot and a bay leaf. Don't bother with peeling carrot or "skinning" onion. The veggies just amp up the flavor majorly. (Is majorly a word? LOL)

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  4. YUMMMMY soup! Thank yo for the recipe.

    The other day I couldn't help over hear a Tact Chicken soup recipe 2 ladies were talking about in a store.

    Sounded much like your, but many more additions, like a packet of dry ranch dressing. Put ranch into or on anything and WOWOW.. love that stuff. If I can come across that recipe, I'll share it with you.

    Smiles .. chilly cold grinning face here!
    JulieinTN

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  5. I just going to look for Taco soup recipe this morning...and here it is! Will be making for church dinner next Wednesday.

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  6. I too like to make taco soup with leftovers. Try it with leftover roast beef or roast pork!

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  7. And when I don't have leftover chicken I brown up a LB of hamburger and use broth from freezer or in a pinch boxed stock. I love the Penzy soup starters if I have any in cupboard. This looks so good!

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  8. This is just about the same recipe I got off of a skinnytaste website. They put theirs in a slow cooker for either 10 hours on low or 6 hours on high. We've made this several times and it's always a hit :)

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  9. We're up to 15 degrees here in Minneapolis. There's a soup cook-off in the street in front of my house. Too bad you and your soup aren't here!

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  10. I have checked out some of your recipes because I noticed you and I are about the same age and you are staying fit and trim and was curious what you ate. I have some winter fluff goin' on but am fighting agood fight and always have an eye out for a yummy healthy recipe. When did you stayt the gluten free stuff? I do some but not totally. :) Have a warm fun time in AZ!!
    Hope your flight went good and was fun up in First Class!! (yay on that!)

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  11. Yum!! Love a good hearty soup such as Taco Soup on a cold, winter night!!

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  12. Canned chicken??????? I've never heard of that before......

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  13. Bonnie,
    I've been asked to give a tip at guild meeting. Is it okay if I tell about your seam guide? I will give credit to you of course. I have been using this and my piecing has really improved. Thanks so much. Have a good time in Ariz.

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  14. Thank you for your recipes, Bonnie! I finally got around to trying your roasted root vegetables recipe last week and we loved it! Had enough left over for a second meal. This will be a new family fave for us! I'm excited to try more of your yummy recipes. Thanks again!

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  15. Hi Bonnie, you mentioned on the quilt cam that you were thinking about a red and white challenge for your next leader ender project. I'd like to suggest the Goose in the Pond set on point. that block has lots of nine patches, which I know you like and I've wanted to make that quilt for a very long time. this may be the year to do this one for me. happy quilting and enjoy you time traveling and teaching. Gail in Verona

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  16. Like Gail, I too have been wanting to make a red and white quilt. I have been stashing away red fat 1/4 for awhile now. Pick the pattern and I am with ya!!!Safe travels and will be looking for you on Ricky and Alex's show!!

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  17. Mmmmm yummy soup!

    I also like to make bone broth with beef or bison bones. We get marrow bones from the Amish farmer and after the marrow is eaten, the bones are added to the bag in the freezer until there are enough bones to make a crockpot full of broth. With the beef bones, you can get more than one batch, especially if you are lucky enough to get the knuckle bones. Sorry for rambling. lol

    Have a safe and happy trip!

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  18. A BONE BROTH! Good for you. A good bone broth from a food chicken is...food medicine. If you add a dollop of something acid (vinegar, wine, citrus juice) you will get even more of the minerals/goodies/gelatin out of the bones. And don't throw away the fat. You can use it to saute your veggies for the soup. That fat is where all the fat soluble vitamins that are crucial for good health are: A, D, the Ks. There has never been any science behind the demonization of animal fats... They are really good for you. It's sugar that causes inflammation (and heart disease), which is why eating too many carbs, especially grains, causes problems.

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  19. Looks yummy. I make my oen taco mix. Then I have control over the amount of sodium. 1 tbs chili powder, 2tsp onion powder, 1tsp ground cumin, 1tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp paprika, 1tsp oregano, 1tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp salt. I make ahead and store in a baggie then I have it on hand wheb I need it. Use the entire amount for soups, tacos, taco dip etc.

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  20. Hi Bonnie!
    Hey I have a question, do you normally have a spring mystery in Quiltmaker magazine in addition to your fall mystery? I have all the copies of the Lazy Sunday mystery but have recently signed up for a magazine subscription and was wondering if another mystery is coming my way?? Also, I watch quitl cam alot and was wondering where you keep all your vintage machines? Thanks for all you do, btw, I have over 100 split 9 patch blocks now...I need to print the picture of your layout so that I can start sewing my rows together? How many blocks did you end up having? Do I need more? Yikes!

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  21. Isn't it fun to make a yummy soup! This looks so delicious!! I was just catching up on reading your posts and now I'm headed to the kitchen to make some 'soul warming' soup!! :)
    Thanks for sharing Bonnie!
    Have a good trip!

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