Chipotle Chicken & White Bean Soup.

We have some very cold weather on the way to Chicago tonight and over the next few days, and it motivated me to test making a new hearty soup this afternoon.

This fall and winter, I have saved numerous recipes using chipotle peppers, yet haven’t pulled the trigger on making one – until today. This soup recipe looks like it has quite a long list of ingredients, but I promise it’s worth it and comes together quickly once the vegetables are chopped! It’s not too spicy, but has a nice kick from the chipotle pepper and adobo sauce. This would be excellent paired with tortilla strips or chips as well!

Chipotle Chicken & White Bean Soup.
Serves 4-6.

For the shredded chicken:
1 and 1/4 pounds lean, boneless and skinless chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano
3/4 cup chicken broth

For the soup:
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 medium yellow onions
5 cloves garlic
2 carrots {chopped}
2 celery stalks {chopped}
6 and 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 chipotle chile {minced}
2 teaspoons adobo sauce
3 medium red potatoes {cubed}
1 can cannellini beans {rinsed and drained}
1/4 cup half and half
1/2 cup grape tomatoes {chopped}

For the topping:
1/2 cup cilantro {chopped}
1/4 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
1 avocado

Step 1 ~ Make shredded chicken in the crockpot.

• Add chicken {mine was fresh, not frozen}, chicken broth, oregano, and black pepper to a crockpot. Cook on high for 2 hours.
• Once the chicken is done, shred carefully with two forks. Turn the crockpot off, but keep the chicken in the pot and set aside.

Step 2 ~ Prepare and chop vegetables and potatoes.

• Chop onions, carrots,  and celery. Mince garlic and chipotle pepper, removing the seeds. Set aside.
• Wash and chop potatoes into cubes. Set aside.

Step 3 ~ Saute vegetables and cook potatoes and beans.

• Add extra virgin olive oil to a Dutch oven or large soup pot on medium heat. Saute garlic for a few minutes, just until it starts to brown. Add all of the vegetables and herbs and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally: chipotle pepper, onion, celery, carrot, cumin, thyme, salt, and black pepper. 
• Add the chicken broth and bring soup to a boil. Stir in potatoes and beans and turn the heat down to medium to simmer {without the lid} for 30 minutes. 
• Add the shredded chicken and continue to simmer the soup {covered this time} for 10 minutes.
• Add the half and half, and let the soup simmer for 5 more minutes.

Step 4 ~ Add everything else!

• Turn off the heat. Add chopped tomatoes and adobo sauce – stir well and let the soup sit for 10 minutes before serving.
• Top each bowl with avocado, shredded cheese, cilantro, and wedges of lime. We squeezed 1/4 of a lime per bowl, and it was the perfect amount.

{Slightly adapted from Chipotle Chicken Chowder on Tracey’s Culinary Adventures}