Smokin' Chicken Soup

I woke up this morning and it was raining. Not an unusual sight as Fall is right around the corner, and the days are getting cooler and shorter. What came to mind as I was getting the kids ready for school? This is perfect soup weather. The kind of day that doesn't feel quite right if you don't have a pot of something warm simmering on the stove top. So after the kids were off to school, their little umbrellas over their heads, I took out my stock pot, raided the freezer for some chicken bones to boil and made some stock. Cut up a few veggies, cut the kernels off a few ears of corn leftover in the fridge, shredded some boneless, skinless chicken breasts I had cooked earlier, and voilà! Soup! Uncomplicated, comforting and healthy too. Who wouldn't go for that!

Smokin' Chicken Soup

This really is the perfect soup to have simmering on the stove on a cold and rainy Fall day.  The kick from the smoked chipotle is just enough to give it a little something different from your usual chicken soup. Please feel free to use this recipe as a guide; add more or less of whatever ingredient you like, change the veggies, add some noodles, use smoked paprika in place of the smoked chipotle powder, etc. Soup is great for experimenting!

1 tbsp olive oil

3 ribs of celery, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp smoked chipotle powder (more if you want it spicier)

1/2 tsp salt

8 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken (I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts) 

2 cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen)

In a large pot, heat the olive oil on medium high heat. Add the celery, carrots and onions and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic powder, smoked chipotle and salt, mix well. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, until vegetables are cooked. Add the chicken and corn kernels, and simmer until heated through.

Nutritional Information  per Serving: 

Calories: 249.2; Total Fat: 7.4g; Cholesterol: 32.4mg; Sodium: 726.1mg;

Carbohydrate: 27.2g; Dietary Fiber: 3.1g; Sugars: 8.2g; Protein: 19.6g

(Please note that the nutritional information will depend greatly on which type of chicken broth you use, if you add more or less olive oil, whether you add white or dark chicken meat and how much salt you add to your soup.)