Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup

Well, it was a sad story that ended happily. My Valentine package from my mother was stolen, we thought, off our front porch while we were in Louisiana. The mailman said he remembered delivering it. Nothing was there when we got home. My first mature instinct after the mail robbery was to offer the thief another package, my own, self-addressed and stuffed with Izzy poop including a less than professional note about what the thief might consider doing with his stolen excrement, in case he or she lacked imagination. The dog poop boobie trap package remained on my porch for a week, lamentably unstolen, until Mom called to tell me the Valentine had returned to her in Portland, beaten and ravaged but alive. Hurray! So thank you, thief, for having a change of heart and throwing the package back into the Post Office. I’ve got better things for repentant ole’ you to eat than what I put in Package #2. Like this soup KP cooked up for the Academy Award party!

Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup

Barns and Noodles (greatest name ever)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup onions, diced
• 3 teaspoons garlic, minced
• 16 ounces enchilada sauce
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 teaspoon cholula hot sauce (or your favorite hot sauce)
• 1½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon fresh cilantro
• 2 cup frozen corn
• 2 cup canned black beans
• 2 chicken breasts

Instructions

1. Heat up the olive oil in a large pan, then saute the onions until soft.
2. Add garlic and saute for one additional minute.
3. Add enchilada sauce, chicken broth, hot sauce, cumin, and cilantro.
4. Mix over medium heat for 2 minutes.
5. Pour the mixture into the crockpot.
6. Add chicken (I use frozen).
7. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
8. Remove the chicken breast and shred with 2 forks.
9. Return to crockpot and add corn and black beans.
10. Cook for 30 more minutes.
11. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of grated cheese.

Always a fan of spicy soup. Fun fact from book The Blue Zones which summarizes research from studies of populations who have the longest lifespans: they all eat nuts at least four times a week, and beans on the regular. Get thee to a legume and a bean!

Also, let’s have a round of applause for belated Valentines.