Sunday Soup #66: Slow Cooker Chicken and Green Chile Soup

Happy National Hot & Spicy Food Day! This week, in honor of this auspicious occasion, I figured I'd make a recipe that promised to put a touch of fire on the tongue... I found this one a few months ago, and today was the perfect excuse to give it a whirl!!

This recipe came from: http://www.eatyourselfskinny.com/slow-cooker-chicken-and-green-chile-soup/

*Pic 1 - http://www.eatyourselfskinny.com/slow-cooker-chicken-and-green-chile-soup/

Variations from Recipe as Written: Other than making a few garnishes/sides (like cotija cheese and tortillas) available that weren't strictly called for by the recipe, I didn't depart from the recipe at all.

General Thoughts: If you've been a reader of my soup posts for any length of time, you may know that I often avoid soups like this one because I feel like they all come out tasting the same. I feel like all the taco soups, chicken tortilla soups, etc. I've tried have all had a very similar taste profile, and it is not a taste I particularly enjoy. I chose this soup because I was hoping for some good spice, and I was crossing my fingers that it would bring something new to my bowl.

*Pics 2 & 3 - Pictures from when I made it

I'll get to the taste in a moment, but first the prep... Super duper easy! This one was even easier than the last soup I made (Sunday Soup #65), and even less expensive, so definitely a win-win there. There was basically just one step: put all the ingredients in the Crock Pot. LOL A very little bit of chopping (on the onions and celery) would be required, unless you are like me and buy the pre-chopped veggies. I am a big baby, and chopping onions make me cry, so I just bought the pre-chopped celery and onion mix at Safeway. :-)

The taste of this soup was just good... It was unlike most of the other Mexican soups I've ever had in that it had a terrific balance of vinegar and spice (due to the jar of green salsa) and was otherwise well-flavored (e.g., salt, oregano, cumin). Left to my own devices, particularly in honor of Hot & Spicy Food Day, I would have gone full-throttle on the heat. But, I used mild diced chiles instead of hot, and then chose a "hot" green salsa we normally enjoy (Mrs. Renfro's Jalapeño Green Salsa) to give it more "kick." The result was a heat level that Hunter and I both found to be just mild-to-medium, but it was still spicy enough that non-fire eaters should find it deliciously piquant.

Potential Improvements? Hard to improve this one but, as I said, if I was making it again for an audience that liked things fiery, I'd use the hot diced green chiles in addition to the hot green salsa.

Polling the Fam: I liked this one very much and would eat this as a "tortilla soup" any day of the week! Becky had to take some to go, as she was headed to work, but texted me and said, "The soup was super good!" I asked her to be more descriptive, but she never texted back, so I am going to assume she was rendered speechless by the yumminess. Hunter had two bowls, said it was good, and felt the cotija cheese greatly contributed to the soup's taste. Even Fox had multiple bowls, saying it was good and that he enjoyed the "medium" spice level.

Verdict: Loved it! (5 stars)

Sunday Soup #65: Smoked Sausage and Black-Eyed Peas

This week, I was looking for something tasty and filling, but easy and inexpensive. I mean, who isn't, am I right? I stumbled across this recipe that looked like it might have some promise, and then I found that it had both an Instant Pot and a standard version, so that cinched it... Let's give it a try!

This recipe came from: https://inthekitchenwithkath.com/2018/01/01/instant-pot-smoked-sausage-and-black-eyed-peas/ (non-Instant Pot version: https://inthekitchenwithkath.com/2013/01/01/smoked-sausage-and-black-eyed-peas/)

*Pic 1 - https://inthekitchenwithkath.com/2018/01/01/instant-pot-smoked-sausage-and-black-eyed-peas/

Variations from Recipe as Written: I made 1.5x this recipe, and also added a few extra ounces of sausage than was strictly called for.

General Thoughts: True to how it seemed, this one was easy! The few ingredients were simple and inexpensive, the prep was uber minimal (particularly since I used pre-chopped onion), and the Instant Pot made cooking a breeze. It is rare to find a recipe that actually delivers on its "promise" to be both simple and inexpensive (especially if it is also yummy), so it is worth keeping track of the ones that do.

*Pics 2 & 3 - Pictures from when I made it

This soup was a perfect balance of bulk and broth. I was initially worried that it would be too thick, more the consistency of a split-pea soup. But, while the bulk was certainly there, there was enough broth to keep it interesting. If you prefer a thicker, creamier soup, you could definitely use an immersion blender to purée a portion of the mix once the black-eyed peas have been fully cooked.

The taste was really good, if just a tad one-dimensional. Black-eyed peas, if you are unfamiliar, are legumes that are very bean-like, and they tend to take on the flavor of what they are cooked with. In this case, the smoked kielbasa, garlic, thyme, and salt all imparted flavor to the mix, and the combined product was super solid, but it was difficult to isolate the taste of any particular ingredient in any given bite (with the possible exception of the fresh thyme). I poured a bit of vinegar from a jar of jalapeños into one of my bowls, which is something I often do when I eat pinto beans, and that was the perfect additive to help things "pop" a little more (for me, but your tastes may vary).

Overall, this one was just very solid... The taste was good, it was hearty and filling, and the ease of prep was a winner!

Potential Improvements? Not much to improve on here... I might try adding some chopped pickled jalapeños into the pot before cooking to add a little of that vinegar bite I got after the fact, and you could also add some chopped bacon for a little more flavor and meaty goodness.

Polling the Fam: This one could easily fall into the "Ol' Reliable" category for me: a strong go-to recipe when I want cheap, easy, and tasty! I would definitely make it again. Becky thought it was good, saying she liked it and would eat it again. Hunter found it solid, filling and good, taking particular note of the kielbasa, although he called it pretty standard. He said he'd eat it again. Finally, Fox said he thought it was okay, but that he couldn't think of a way to improve it.

Verdict: Liked it. (4 stars)