Hello Crocktober aka Soup Season!

Last week Mother Nature showed Denver what's what by sending an early snow storm to banish summer for good. It was a sad day as the entire metro area was sent hustling to figure out what to do with their gardens and pots that were still producing and blooming prolifically, blowing out their sprinkler systems that had likely been used the day before when it was 80 degrees, and of course, trying to remember how to drive in the snow.

For me, it's always sad to say goodbye to summer and those 3 weeks of fall that we get, but there are a few things that make it tolerable. First, new wardrobe! Yay! Sweaters and jeans, boots, cozy coats and jackets--it's so fun to dig out all those items you forgot you had. And second, it's soup season! Almost without fail every fall, my first soup is my Green Chile and Chicken Soup. You can make it in the crockpot or on the stovetop, prep is a matter of minutes and the result is a soup I could almost make on a weekly basis. Whenever I make it everyone asks for the recipe (which I feel takes longer to write out than to actually make), so I'm writing down, here, once and for all.

First, a warning. I make this a little different every time because I don't really measure, but I'll do my best to give you approximate amounts and if I leave something out, don't hesitate to reach out for clarification.

Ingredients:

2-4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 package Select New Mexico Green Chile-HOT (24 oz)-I buy it frozen at Target

1 can diced tomatoes

1 carton of chicken stock or bone broth (or quart of homemade, optional)

2 T oil (avocado or olive)

1 T ground red chile

1 T ground cumin

1 T oregano (Mexican preferred)

1-2 avocados

cilantro

cotija cheese

salt and pepper to taste

I usually have all the ingredients to make this so it's usually a last minute decision for dinner. If my chicken is fresh or frozen I throw it in a stock pot to par boil with about 6 cups of water and, depending on what I have in the fridge, celery, carrots, onion (not the one in the ingredients list), and salt and pepper for a quick chicken stock. Once the chicken is cooked, remove the chicken to cool so you can shred it, then strain and reserve the liquid for the soup.

In your soup pot, heat up the oil and toss in the onion, red chile, cumin, and oregano, sauté. Once the onion is cooked, add the chicken stock you made while cooking the chicken (if you use more than 2 chicken breasts adjust liquid as you see fit with the chicken stock), can of tomatoes, green chile, and shredded chicken. Bring to a simmer and taste-adjust as needed. The soup is ready and just gets better with time. Garnish with diced avocado, fresh cilantro, and crumbled cotija cheese. Enjoy and stay warm out there!