Spicy Chicken Soup Recipe

The best thing about this soup is, of course, how great it tastes. And all the better since the taste can be adjusted to suit all sorts of palates. While this can indeed be a "spicy" soup — as in hot and fiery — perhaps a better adjective would be "spiced." "As written, it is very minimal in the spice department," says chef and recipe developer Stephanie Rapone of Pantry to Plate. However, with a few small tweaks, this same recipe can yield a soup that'll really bring on the heat.

In either case, the other best thing about Rapone's soup is that it's very easy to make. "I really think it's the same or easier [than most soups]," she says. "For the most part, soups start with a sauté, then [adding] seasonings, liquid, and the other 'chunky stuff,' [then] cooking. That's what this recipe does, too. You have to shred the chicken, but that's not hard."

As laid out here, this recipe yields a nutritious and protein-rich dish that's a great lunch or dinner. To make it a fuller meal, Rapone recommends pairing it with a pepper jack grilled cheese. Because what goes well with spicy soup? Even more spicy stuff.

This recipe calls for a lot of ingredients, but don't worry, because it really is easy to prepare once the chopping and measuring is done. You'll need carrots, fresh jalapeño, canola or vegetable oil, chopped onion (fresh or frozen), cumin, ancho powder (you can substitute a chili powder blend, or cayenne if you want it extra spicy), ground cinnamon, kosher salt, red enchilada sauce (mild, medium, or hot), low-sodium chicken broth, canned chopped tomatoes, black beans, vegetable or chicken bouillon paste (or cubed bouillon), garlic powder, boneless skinless chicken thighs, canned hominy, frozen corn, red wine vinegar, and honey. In addition, gather some items for garnishing, with the ideal choices being cilantro, radish, sour cream, avocado, and/or lime.

Peel and chop the carrots, and dice the onion. Then comes the jalapeño. If you want the soup more mild, cut off the ends of the jalapeño, split it down the middle, and scrape out the seeds and ribs. If you want the soup more spicy, chop the jalapeño as-is, removing only the stem.

Next, add the oil to a large pot or Dutch oven, and heat it over medium-high until the oil is hot (but not smoking). Add the onion, carrot, and jalapeño, and sauté until the onions just begin to brown. Then, add the cumin, ancho powder, cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon of the salt, and stir to combine. Cook with the spices added for abut 60 to 90 seconds.

Add the chicken broth, enchilada sauce, tomatoes (with their liquid), bouillon, and the beans. Then, stir to combine. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. While the mixture is coming to a boil, mix the garlic powder with the remaining ½ teaspoon of kosher salt, and use this mixture to season the chicken thighs.

Once the mixture in the pot is boiling, carefully add the chicken thighs to the soup. Next, place the lid on the pot and reduce the heat to low. Simmer the soup for 20 to 25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through (meaning an internal temperature of 165 to 175 degrees Fahrenheit).

While the soup is simmering away, drain liquid from the hominy. (FYI, hominy is basically just dried corn kernels treated with a lye solution so they fluff up and soften.)

Once the chicken has cooked completely, remove the pieces of meat from the pot, and put them into to a medium bowl or casserole dish. Then, add the frozen corn, drained hominy, vinegar, and honey to the pot, and stir. Simmer the soup while you shred the chicken with a pair of forks, and then add the shredded chicken back to the soup, stirring everything together once more.

Finally, serve out your portions, garnish them as you'd like, and enjoy!