Recipe by Rachael Ray
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil 2 medium carrots, peeled 2 ribs celery 1 large onion, peeled and halved 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 to 2 chipotle chili in adobo, finely chopped, plus a spoon of sauce from the can Salt and black pepper 1 tsp. dry thyme, eyeball it 1 bay leaf 1 cup dry white wine, eyeball it 5 cups chicken stock 1 large sweet potato 3/4 to 1 pound chicken tenders, cut into bite-size pieces 4 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, a generous handful, roughly chopped 1/2 cup sour cream for garnish, optional
Heat a soup pot over medium-high heat with 2 T. extra-virgin olive oil, about 2 turns of the pan.
While soup pot heats, chop carrots in half lengthwise then slice into half moons. Add the carrots to the pot while it heats, stirring to coat the carrots in the oil. Chop and drop in celery and onion, chopping as small as you can, but don't make yourself crazy...Add the garlic, chipotle, and adobo sauce and stir to combine. Season the veggies with salt, pepper, thyme, and bay leaf. Cook the veggies together 1 minute. Add the wine and reduce a minute. Add the stock to the pot, cover the pot, and raise heat to high. Bring stoup to a boil, remove the cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into quarters lengthwise, then thinly slice into bite size pieces. Add the chicken and sweet potatoes and simmer 5 minutes until sweet potatoes are tender and chicken is cooked through. Turn the heat off and add the scallions and cilantro. Serve each portion of stoup with a dollop of sour cream on top, if desired.
Makes 4 servings. -------------------------------- This is a delicious recipe, and I made it without the chipotle chili in adobo. As with any soup, have fun with it, be creative, and adapt it to your tastes! I also cook with other types of oil such as avocado oil or regular olive oil as they are better for cooking than the EVOO. --Elisa Juarez
