Jalapeno Popper Chicken Soup
Jalapeno Popper Chicken Soup
Very mild. If you want more tang, keep in the seeds and ribs
- 4 slices raw bacon chopped
- 1/2 sweet or white onion diced
- 2 ribs celery diced
- 1/2 green bell pepper diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper diced
- 4 jalapeno peppers seeded and chopped
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 2 cups shredded cooked or rotisserie chicken breast (leftovers are great)
- 4 ounces cream cheese (cut into chunks and softened to room temp)
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- In a 4 or 5 quart Dutch oven or soup pot, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. About 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels. Drain the bacon grease, leaving about 3 tablespoons in the pot.
- Add onions, celery, bell peppers and jalapenos. Saute about 5 minutes or until peppers are just tender, stirring occasionally.
- Sprinkle the flour over the veggies, along with the garlic and stir. Things will become a little thick and pasty. That’s okay.
- Increase heat to medium-high. Add the broth one cup at a time, incorporating each addition completely into the veggie mixture until the soup is smooth. Then add the half-and-half. Let the soup come up to a gentle boil and cook for five minutes.
- Place cream cheese in a medium heat-proof bowl. Slowly pour in about 1/2 cup of the hot broth mixture, whisking until smooth and creamy.
- Add the cream cheese mixture and the cheddar cheese into soup until melted.
- Stir in the cooked chicken and the bacon, reserving about 1/4 cup of the bacon for topping the soup. Remove from heat.
- Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with toppings of your choice, such as sliced jalapenos, crushed croutons, and more cheese.