Surprise! It’s me! I know I am long overdue in sharing a new recipe with all of you, so I hope you are all still out there in cyberspace and that you’re hungry, because this one is amazing!

In the last week, we have hit the 100 degree mark 5 different days, with a heat index at its highest, at 125 degrees, on Saturday. We usually have an afternoon rain storm every day this time of year, but we’ve only had one in the last week at our house. This has definitely not helped the situation. Needless to say, it is HOT and we are all pretty much over it. It is so hot that my A/C runs continuously and we even purchased two new super-powered fans, just to help keep things cool. We have even been eating a lot of foods that do not require use of the oven or stove, in order to keep it from getting so hot in here in the afternoons. However, one family can only eat so many salads and sandwiches before you just can’t take it anymore. By the time the next electric bill comes, we will probably only be eating beans and rice for awhile.

Today I was getting really hungry and really craving soup (because in my mind I am imagining it is already fall), so when I opened the freezer and saw a big bag of roasted corn, I knew what I had to make. I looked around in the fridge and pantry and pulled out a few things that went together and went to work. The result was pretty amazing! It was full of flavor, very easy to make, and did not require a lot of effort. The fact that it was done in just over 30 minutes, made it nearly perfect. I rank this soup right up there with my Bonfire Chili. If you haven’t tried that yet, you really need to add it to next week’s menu. That chili has become a family and friends favorite.

Feel free to adjust these ingredients to include things you might have in your fridge and pantry. Or, take away some things you may not like, and add in something you do.

*This recipe is gluten-free as long as you are using a GF broth.

*For the vegetarian version, just omit the chicken and use vegetable broth.

Southwest Soup

• 4 tablespoons avocado oil (2 for chicken, 2 for veggies)
• 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 large sweet onion, diced
• 2-3 cups of red, yellow and orange sweet peppers, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 6 cups of chicken broth
• 3-4 cups of white or black beans (I used white because that was all I had)
• 2 cups petite diced tomatoes
• 1.5-2 cups roasted corn (I used Trader Joe’s)
• juice from 1 large lime
• fresh cilantro, chopped (I probably used a cup, adjust to your taste)
• 4 green onions, sliced
• cumin and chili powder, adjust to taste (start with 2 tbsp cumin and 1 tbsp chili powder)
• salt and pepper, adjust to taste
• optional: sour cream, jalapeno, tortilla chips, shredded cheese, avocado

Season both sides of chicken generously with chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. In a large skillet over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of avocado oil, once it is hot, add the chicken. Cook on both sides until chicken is cooked through. Remove from heat and let rest.

While the chicken is cooking, in a large soup pot, over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of avocado oil and the peppers and onions. Cook for about 3-4 minutes until they soften and just start to caramelize. Add in garlic, salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder and stir. Next add in the beans, roasted corn, lime juice, and chicken broth. Stir until combined, then cover and reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer for about 20 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, cut the cooked chicken breasts in half, then shred each piece with two forks. Add the shredded chicken, green onions and chopped cilantro to the soup and stir until well combined. Cover and let cook for an additional 5 minutes.

We added jalapenos, avocado and sour cream to ours!

Enjoy!