Chicken Enchilada Soup

Chicken Enchilada Soup

This is similar to a soup at Chili's restaurant, with just a couple of additions and changes.

1 tablespoon olive oil 1 onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 4 cups chicken broth 1 cup cornmeal 4 cups water 2 cups salsa

1 cup dried refried bean flakes 1 can green chiles, optional 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 teaspoon cumin 2 cups diced cooked chicken

Procedure

1 Saute onion and garlic in olive oil in a large soup pot until onions are translucent. Add chicken broth.

2 Combine cornmeal with 2 cups water and whisk until blended. Add mixture to soup pot. Add remaining water, salsa, refried bean flakes, and spices and stir well. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until thickened. Stir in chicken.

3 Serve in bowls and garnish with your favorite toppings: grated cheddar cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream, salsa, chopped avocado, lime slices, chopped cilantro, etc.

Servings: 8

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Recipe Tips

*The original recipe called for 16 oz. of Velveeta. I put the refried beans in instead. If you don't have the refried bean flakes from the cannery, use a can of refried beans and reduce the water to 3 cups.

*This recipe works great with canned chicken, too. Or, if you want to eliminate the chicken, add a can of black or pinto beans instead.

*If you don't have already cooked chicken for this recipe, toss in 2-3 boneless skinless breasts when you add the broth. Simmer for about 20 minutes until chicken is cooked, then remove from the broth before adding the rest of the ingredients. Chop the chicken and add it just before serving.

*The original recipe called for a can of enchilada sauce, but I usually use salsa, or sometimes a can of tomatoes with green chilies. If your family likes it spicy, add some chopped jalapeno.

*The original recipe called for masa harina flour (in the Mexican specialty section) but I just put some popcorn kernels through my wheat grinder to get cornmeal.