The original thought for this soup came from a quick glance in the fridge, which revealed jalapeno chicken sausage, a bell pepper, and a jalapeno. Naturally, we thought, “ooh…Tortilla Soup!” But then, we realized that we didn’t have any corn tortillas, so we went in a slightly different direction and turned what we enjoy as a burrito filling into a hearty soup! I guess in a way, it’s a very different take on a burrito bowl!
Anyway, by the time our soup was ready, the house was filled with the enticing aroma, and our noses had trained our stomachs to be hungry. Luckily, the soup itself did not disappoint! It had the perfect hint of heat combined with the natural sweetness of the corn and red pepper to build a delightful flavour profile and a lower calorie option than a burrito (due to the lack of tortilla).
Time: 60 Minutes (although we kept ours in the slow cooker for 4 hours after assembling)
Ingredients:
- Protein of your choice. We used Jalapeño Chicken Sausage, but ground meat would work well too.
- Jalapeno
- Red Bell Pepper
- Onion
- Ground Cumin
- Cilantro
- Corn
- Rice
- Black Beans
- Salsa
- 6-8 cups Chicken Stock
- Equal parts Corn Starch and Water (amount depending on how much soup you’re making and how much you want the liquid to thicken). We used 2 tablespoons for 8 cups of chicken stock
Method:
- Cook your rice. We used 3/4 cup dried, and we began by heating some oil in a pot and tossing our rice in it before adding 2 cups of water and letting that absorb. Then, as your rice cooks…
- If using ground meat instead of pre-cooked sausage, brown your meat in a pan.
- Dice your onions, bell peppers, and jalapeno. Then, sautee in a a pan with some ground cumin and cilantro until all ingredients soften. (If using ground meat, you can add your veggies to the same pan as your meat while your meat cooks).
- Once your rice and veggies/meat are fully cooked, combine them into your slow cooker or big soup pot. Add in your corn and black beans too, and stir to combine. Then, pour in your chicken stock and a bit of salsa.
- Combine your corn starch and warm water in a small bowl or measuring cup, and stir to fully incorporate. Then, pour into your soup so the liquid thickens a bit as it cooks.
- Simmer on low for 2-4 hours (if using a crockpot) or simmer for 30 minutes if cooking on the stove.
- Bowl, devour, and enjoy!
