Southwest Chicken & Chorizo Soup

There are no words to describe just how much I LOVE this particular soup. Oh the amazing comfort food that it is…so perfect for cold or rainy days. There is so much in it that is good for you (minus the chorizo) that there are even more added benefits than just making you feel warm and cozy inside.

Here we go! The base of this soup is really these little goodies. Basically you could use all of this without having the chicken and corn added in because it’s just that good. But having the chicken and corn in the pot just bring the whole soup up a notch.

Southwest Chicken & Chorizo Soup
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients:
2 Chicken Breasts, boneless & skinless
1 Tbsp. Chili Powder
2 tsp. Lawry's Seasoned Salt
3 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 whole Red Onion, chopped
1 package Mexican Chorizo
3 cloves Garlic
1 tsp. Black Pepper, ground
1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
8 Medium Red Potatoes (or Yukon Gold Potatoes)
2 cans Chicken Broth (14 oz. each)
1 can Diced Tomatoes (14 oz.)
1 can Garbanzo Beans, drained and rinsed (15.5 oz.)
1 bag Corn, frozen (16 oz.)
1 bunch Kale, stemmed

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare casserole dish with cooking spray.

Place chicken breasts the casserole dish. Season each breast with Lawry's seasoned salt and chili powder. Bake in oven for 35 minutes.

When cooking time is complete, check doneness of each chicken breast by slicing the thickest part to see that juices run clear and the meat is not pink.

While chicken is cooking, chop or dice red onion, depending on your personal preference.

Over medium heat, add extra virgin olive oil and onion to a large stock pot. Stir occasionally so that onions do not burn.

Remove casing from chorizo and cut length-wise. Then cut length-wise again. Take slices and cut each into bite-sized pieces.

Add chorizo to stock pot and increase heat to medium high. Add black pepper and sea salt.

Take garlic cloves, smash them and remove the skins. Mince, or use a garlic press, each clove and add into the pot.

Stir occasionally so that the garlic does not burn and become bitter.

Peel and cut potatoes. Cut potatoes into bite-sized pieces by making 3-4 slices length-wise and several slices width-wise.

Add potatoes to stock pot, stirring occasionally so that potatoes do not stick to the bottom of the pot. Allow to cook for 10 minutes.

While potatoes cook, rinse kale and pat off excess water. Remove stems. Take leaves and cut making thin slices, or rough-cut, across the width of the leaves.

Add tomatoes, chicken broth, garbanzo beans and corn to stock pot. Allow to simmer over medium heat.

Remove chicken from oven and shred. Add chicken and kale to stock pot. Stir in so that all ingredients are well dispersed. Allow to simmer for and additional 10 minutes.

Serve with a fresh crusty bread and ENJOY!