Chili de Pollo con Queso y Frijoles

a/k/a cheesy chicken chili with beans

I made up this soup last year. I was trying to come up with something similar to Chili's Chicken Tortilla soup, and that was reasonably successful, but not hearty enough for my taste. This is thicker, richer... better, in my opinion. A meal in itself, really. Can also be eaten with tortilla chips, as a warm or chilled dip.

Prep and cooking time: 45-60 minutes.

ingredients (all quantities approximate)

• 1 or 2 chicken breasts, or other parts
• 2-3 cups water
• chicken bouillion powder or cubes
• butter
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion
• 1/2 red bell pepper and 1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced very fine. May use less to reduce heat.
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• 1/3-1/2 cup corn flour (masa harina)
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• about 3/4 cup corn, frozen or canned, drained
• 1 can enchilada sauce (mild, medium or hot, to taste)
• 1/3 to 1/2 block Velveeta cheese, or equal parts Velveeta and shredded sharp cheddar
• Spices: cumin, oregano, cilantro, Lowrey's seasoned salt and pepper, OR Penzey's Southwestern seasoning blend (optional)

method

• Boil chicken in water with bouillion powder.
• Mince peppers, onion and garlic; saute in butter until onions are clear and almost burnt--this adds a nice smoky flavor.
• Remove chicken from broth, let cool. Add peppers & onions to stock. Mix corn flour (masa harina) with a little of the stock to make thin gruel; add to stock.
• Debone chicken if needed and cube small. Return chicken to pot. Add enchilada sauce, beans and corn.
• Add Velveeta in chunks and allow to melt, until it's a nice semi-thick consistency. You don't want it like glue. If it's too thin, add more corn flour.
• Simmer and stir occasionally until thick and uniform consistency. Add spices as needed.
• May be served topped with sour cream, shredded cheese, pico de gallo, and/or crumbled tortilla chips on top. Can also be eaten cold, with chips, like a dip. Keeps well in the fridge for three or four days if tightly covered.

Warning: the heat level of the echilada sauce you use will largely determine the overall hotness of the soup. It gets hotter as it ages!

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