The best thing about last week was that John came home! The worst thing about John coming home is that literally 24 hours after he stepped foot into the door, I came down with a major cold. To make matters worse, John is that person who thinks they are coming down with whatever you’ve got. So, by Thursday, we were both feeling sick, tired, and pretty sad that our only time together until he moves down here for good was overshadowed by runny noses, fevers, and hacking coughs.

Pleasant, I know, but wait because I’m just about getting to the good stuff. I decided that if we were going to have to suffer, and if I was going to have to work feeling miserable, I might as well try and cure us as fast as possible. Enter this Chicken Enchilada Soup. It had chipotles in adobo sauce (which are HOT, people, if you don’t have taste buds or have never tried them before). I limit my interaction with them, and as you can imagine John loves them (him and that burning sensation – I don’t get it).

To be honest, the soup was so spicy (I might, might, might have overdone it on the chipotles) that my nose was clear faster than I could say all better! Unfortunately, I couldn’t take the soup everywhere I went with me, so it was still a few more days until I felt 100% again. I know it’s May, but, it’s still pretty chilly here in New York, and I know John is freezing his tuckus still up in Maine! So, time for soup! And, if you’re in a warm part of the country, bookmark this one until fall. It’s perfect for that stubborn cold, or first frost.

Just know that I read a lot of different recipes before making mine. The two I pulled most heavily from areSkinnyTaste (duh) and Dainty Chef.

Chicken Enchilada Soup
Serves: 4
3 cups chicken broth
1-15 ounce can of black beans, rinsed and drained
8 ounces tomato sauce
2 chipotles in adobo sauce + 1 teaspoon of sauce (more if you like it SPICY – taste as you go!)
3 large tomatoes, diced (about 1 cup) or 8 ounces of canned petite diced tomatoes (not drained)
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 whole chicken breasts (I used frozen)
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 cup cheese, shredded

In a crockpot, combine chicken broth, drained black beans, tomato sauce, chipotles and adobo sauce, tomatoes (or canned tomatoes), onion, and chicken breasts. Stir in cumin, paprika, chili powder, and oregano until well combined. Cook on low for 4-6 hours, until chicken breasts shred easily with a fork. Return them to the crockpot and let cook additional 15 minutes. Serve with grated cheese on top.

When I served this for dinner, I put 1/4 cup of our leftoverCilantro-Lime Rice in the bottom of the bowl and spooned the soup on top. It was a great combination!

I hope you enjoyed my Cinco de Mayo menu this week!

Until the next time my oven is on…