Chili Verde Soup

We are serious bread, cracker, and chip-dunkers. 

When there's a steaming bowl of soup on the table, you know darn well there's going to be a pile of one of those three on the table somewhere. I just can't get enough of the way soft bread soaks up the broth, or the way crackers and tortilla chips add the perfect amount of crunchy contrast to each bite. With this soup, especially, I don't think we even had spoons on the table.

I've been eyeing this Rachael Ray recipe for a while now, and recently had a friend comment that they hated Rachael. I love these people to death, but they must be up-in-the-night. Rachael's recipes are the bomb, I love her story, I love her show, and I can't get enough of the way she encourages families to cook together in the kitchen - especially while using the best ingredients possible for the dish. I've learned so much while cooking her recipes, and owe a great deal of my love in the kitchen to the pile of Rachael Ray cookbooks my mother-in-law gifted me my first Christmas married to her son. 

Her recipes are always the perfect base to whatever I want to serve my family. Sometimes I make the recipe to a T, and it's perfect. Sometimes I adjust it along the way. This one was one of those adjust-to-my-liking recipes, and we seriously adore the way it turned out. My husband was already begging me to make it again after we fought over the leftovers for dinner. 

Instead of using a bag of tomatillos, I opted for some chili verde sauce (we love smothering just about anything in this sauce, so I knew it'd be a win), and added about 2 cups of chicken stock to thicken the broth. I also switched the beans from pinto to black. I wanted a pop of some darker color to the soup, and we already had a can in the pantry. Everything tied together so beautifully in this soup! We couldn't believe just how hearty it was, how much flavor was bursting with each chip-full (no spoons for this one, remember?), and loved smothering it in our favorite creamy pepper jack cheese. If you're looking for more of a spicy soup (you can make it as hot or mild as you want), this is the next soup you're going to want to fill your bowls up with this Fall season. 

Chili Verde Soup

makes 6 servings

ingredients:

2 T EVOO

1 1/2 lb of lean ground turkey

2 1/2 T ground cumin

1 T cayenne pepper (ground roasted red pepper)

1 1/2 T McCormick steak grill seasoning

1 jalapeno, chopped with seeds removed 

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 small yellow onion, chopped 

1 green pepper, chopped and seeded

1 28oz can mild or medium chili verde sauce

2 C chicken stock

3 T chopped cilantro

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

salt and pepper

2 scallions, chopped

shredded pepper jack or sharp cheddar for serving

corn chips for serving

method:

1. Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add turkey and brown part way. Add cumin, cayenne, steak seasoning. Continue to cook until all the pink is gone. Continue to brown and add jalapeno, onion, garlic. 

2. When onion is translucent, add bell pepper. Cook until peppers are soft (add in a little chicken stock if things are getting to toasty). Add in chicken stock and chili verde sauce. Let simmer for 20 minutes on low. 

3. Add in cilantro and black beans, cook for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with scallions, cheese, and corn chips. 

Recipe adapted from: classic rachael ray, 30-minute meals, chili verde