Chicken Taco Soup

Now this may seem to be the wrong time of the year to be talking about soup with the heat being what it is, but my wife and I love a good soup and can eat it anytime. It is served all over the country in different variations. As a matter of fact, I became acquainted with it in San Diego by a Guatemalan cook in a kitchen I was running. His was quite good although I don't really remember that much about it, ingredient wise. If you check for recipes on the internet, you'll find tons of recipes. I would venture to say that the majority of them use ground beef, canned beans, Rotel tomatoes and some sort of taco seasoning. Naturally, I do mine differently as you will see below. We also like a little spicy heat in this soup and I keep on hand some dried Pequin peppers that I grind to add to different dishes. Add what you like for heat or omit altogether. I also don't saute the onions or garlic to cut down on the fat content. Also, since this soup cooks for a while the onions and garlic will be thoroughly cooked but not have that mellow flavoring that sauteing creates. I like that for this soup.

6 chicken thighs, skin and fat removed.
1 med yellow onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bunch Cilantro, chopped
1 lrg. can crushed tomatoes
1 lrg. can diced tomatoes
3 cups rich chicken broth
2 tsp. crushed pequin chiles
black pepper to taste
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. chile powder
1/2 tbsp. paprika
1 1/2 cup frozen whole kernel corn.
juice of 1 lime

Put chicken thighs in a pot with enough water to cover. Over med-high heat bring just to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer for 20-30 minutes. Remove, let cool and shred meat.

Add, onions, garlic, both cans of tomatoes and chicken broth to a large pot. Just before it boils, turn down to med-low and let simmer. Add cilantro, lime juice, chiles and spices to soup (if you are not sure how you feel about cumin, add just a little at a time, stir, wait a minute and taste). Add corn and chicken and let simmer for at least an hour, preferably longer, until it reduces to the consistency you like. Taste for seasonings. We like to serve it with shredded sharp cheddar and a dollop of sour cream. Some crumbled tortilla chips or Fritos are good also.