Let us talk about the heat!
There are numerous ways to add chile heat and flavor to this dish, and this recipe works with any of them:
1 jalapeno or serrano, minced, or more to taste
It can be spiced up with ground chile powder (not the spice blend for chili, but the dish), chipotle powder, or even smoked hot paprika or cayenne pepper.
You could use a can of minced chipotle or just a spoonful of puree around it.
You could also add dried chiles, toasting them in a dry pan before soaking them in hot water until soft and blending them.
Each will slightly alter and deepen the flavor of the soup.
Start with 1.3 pounds of bone-in skin-on chicken thighs and cook for 5 minutes longer.
Soup
-
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large white onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 jalapeño, finely chopped (see Note about other heat options)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground chile powder (see Note about other heat options)
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 to 4 cups chicken stock or broth
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs (see Note)
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels (optional)
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Juice of half a lime
Finishes, choose your own
- Cotija cheese, crumbled
- 1 medium avocado, sliced
- Sour cream or Mexican crema
- Second half of lime, cut into wedges
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Corn tortillas, cut into thin ribbons, to fry (instructions below)
- Hot sauce
Prepare the soup:
Warm a large or 4-quart soup pot on medium-high heat.
When the oil is hot, add it.
Once the oil is hot, add the onion, garlic, and jalapeno and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes, or until softened and beginning to brown at the edges.
Cook for one minute after adding cumin and chile.
Cook, stirring constantly until the tomato paste is one shade darker, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir in 3 cups of chicken broth to combine.
Bring the soup to a simmer after adding the chicken thighs.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover for 15 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board using tongs.
Add the beans and corn (optional; still frozen is fine to the soup) , Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes on low heat.
While it’s simmering, shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces with two forks.
Season the soup with salt and black pepper to taste.
Return the shredded chicken to the soup and heat through, about 1 minute.
If the soup is too thick at this point, add all or some of the remaining 1 cup of broth and return to a simmer.
Recheck the seasoning and adjust to taste.
Remove from heat and squeeze lime juice of half a lime over. Serve with any finishings of your choice; shown here with avocado, cilantro, cotija, tortilla strips, and hot sauce.
Do you want to know how to make fried corn tortilla strips?
Heat a generous 1/4-inch of neutral/high heat-safe oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high until a drop of water flicked in sizzles dramatically.
Cook, stirring occasionally until the edges of the corn tortilla strips begin to brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
Scoop out with tongs or a slotted spoon, shaking off any excess oil, and drain on paper towels.
Season with salt right away.
Rep with the remaining strips.
I promise there will be no leftovers, but if there are, they keep for a few days in a bag at room temperature.
