Southwestern Chicken Soup~ Recipe

This delicious, one-skillet dish packs a ton of flavor into every bite. Adding some fresh lime juice and cilantro right before serving really brightens the flavors and pulls them all together. This soup makes a great appetizer, or pair it with a crisp, green side salad for a light, yet satisfying meal.

You can use freshly harvested veggies and herbs from your homestead garden, or make this yummy chicken soup in the cooler months with all the goodness you have preserved from the harvest.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 60 – 80 minutes.
Serves: 8

Chicken Soup Ingredients:

2 T. extra virgin olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Salt and black pepper, to taste
6 c. organic chicken broth, divided

4 ears fresh sweet corn, husked and kernels removed
2 15-oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
½ c. fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 small jalapeno pepper, finely diced

2 t. ground cumin

1 T. chili powder

2 t. dried oregano

½ t. cayenne pepper

4 limes, quartered
¼ c. fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions for Southwestern Chicken Soup:

1. Heat olive oil and garlic in a large, high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté garlic until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. Remove browned garlic with a slotted spatula and discard.
   
   
2. Unroll chicken thighs and season both sides with salt and black pepper, to taste. Add chicken to hot skillet and brown on both sides, approximately 3-4 minutes per side.
   
   
3. Add just enough chicken broth to skillet to cover about 1/3 of the chicken thighs. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until chicken is pull-apart tender, approximately 40-45 minutes.
   
   
4. Once tender, carefully shred chicken with 2 forks while still in the skillet. Add corn kernels, black beans, chopped tomatoes, jalapeno pepper, cumin, chili powder, oregano, and cayenne pepper to skillet and top off with remaining chicken stock. Stir to combine and season with additional salt and black pepper, to taste.
   
   
5. Increase heat to medium and simmer until heated through, approximately 15 minutes. If time permits, simmer longer to give flavors more time to mingle. Remove from heat and stir in juice from 2 whole limes and fresh cilantro. Serve immediately with remaining lime wedges. Enjoy!

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