Spicy and Lite Chili Pepper Soup

poblano pepper

Soup is best in winter — when it can cook slow and bubble gently on the stove all day — filling the house with the smells of home.  This is a light, almost clear soup full of veggies (fresh, frozen and canned) that remind me of the Tex-Mex I grew up eating.

This recipe makes 8-servings of 14oz per.  It’s a mostly-broth soup, and so the calories are low (about 200), fiber (3g) and protein (22g) are high, and the flavor is dynamic without burning your mouth.

3 T olive oil
1/2 c finely minced onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
11 oz can Spicy V-8 Juice
8 oz (1 c) frozen corn kernels (or Mex corn mix w/ onions/peppers)
1 poblano pepper, seeded and diced
1 can (10 oz) Rotel tomatoes and green chilis
1 can (4 oz) Hatch chopped green chilis (mild or hot — your choice)
1 can pinto beans, with juices
2 qts chicken stock
1/3 c finely minced green olives (cocktail olives stuffed w/ pimento will do)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or 12 oz boneless pork chops
1/2 c Enchilada Sauce (canned or jar)
2 T Penzey’s Chili Con Carne seasoning blend
2 T Cholula Pepper Sauce
1/4 c Fire Cider 0r, apple cider vinegar + 1/2 t Tabasco Sauce
salt, if needed, to taste

• Sweat onion and poblano pepper in olive oil on med-low heat, adding crushed garlic after 5 minutes
• add stock, meat, Rotel, Hatch chilis, and enchilada sauce and bring to a boil.  Cover and reduce heat.
• Simmer for 45 min – 1 hr, until chicken or pork is tender.
• Remove the meat from the pot and shred it with a fork, then return it to the soup.
• Add remaining ingredients and return the soup to a boil, then cover and reduce heat again.
• Simmer on low for 1-2 hrs.  Taste for salt and season as needed.

For a spicier soup, add a small can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (mash them up and use all the sauce), and additional pepper sauce.

For a milder soup, use regular V-8 juice, just cider vinegar with no Tabasco or fire cider, less Cholula Sauce (or none), and the mildest version of Hatch green chilis, and Rotel tomatoes — “chili blend.”

-204 calories, -5 g fat, -3 g fiber, -22 g protein per serving

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Can be served with broken tortilla chips and shredded Jack cheese, or with a small scoop of lightly seasoned rice and a bit of sour cream.  (But it’s really good just plain….)  — Or just add some sliced pickled jalapenos!