Mexican Chicken Soup

This soup has been one of the hubby's favorites for about a decade. (He got the recipe from a friend of his who is now the food critic for a major newspaper, so of course it's got to be good.) It's very healthy, but packed with flavor. Chipotles will do that for ya.

Speaking of which, the first time I tasted this soup was the first time I ever tried chipotles. Or Swiss chard. Or zucchini. Or garlic. And look how far we've come!

But I digress. You can substitute any dark green in this soup. The hubby prefers Swiss chard, and our local supermarket used to carry it, probably just for him. (They kept it in back and would bring him some when he asked.) But alas, the Swiss chard is no more. We used collard greens this time 'round, but you could also use red chard, spinach, kale, or whatever floats your boat.

The hubby has this recipe committed to memory, and basically does everything by feel, so I attempted to document the recipe by watching and listening. Although we did have a few terminology issues. "And then you roast the garlic in the pan ..." Um, actually, that's sauteeing. "Well I call it 'roasting.' And then you slice the chipotles ..." It looks like you're mincing them. "I call it 'slicing.'"

You're so lucky I was there.

Mexican Chicken Soup
Serves 4

1 tsp. oil
2 c. peeled and cubed zucchini (about 2 small zucchini)
1 c. sliced carrots (about 2 carrots)
1 c. Swiss chard or other dark greens, cut in ribbons
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 chipotle peppers, seeded and minced
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken
7 c. chicken broth

1. Heat oil in a pot over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until golden, about 2 minutes. Add carrots, zucchini, and Swiss chard.

2. Cook about 2-3 minutes, or until the veggies start to get soft and the Swiss chard start to wilt.

You don't want the greens cooked down too much, because you still want them a bit ribbony in the soup.

3. Meanwhile, cut chicken into bite-sized cubes. Like this.

4. Pour broth over veggies, and add chicken and chipotles.

5. Bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook about 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

6. The hubby says to drink this with Coke, especially if you can still find it in the Santa cans. It tastes better that way.