Look What's Cooking At the Clucking Chicken.

September is National Chicken Month.
And since we’re not vegetarians anymore, I thought, hey, why not?

¡Es tiempo de celebrar pollo!

So in September, we’re celebrating all that clucks.
And of course we’re starting con queso.

Southwestern Chicken con Queso Soup

1/8 cup peanut oil
1 small red onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 tomato, peeled, seeded and diced
1/4 cup jalapenos, diced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
2 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon cumin
1 1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon coriander
4 cups chicken, cooked and diced
3 1/2 c chicken broth
1/4 to 1/2 stick butter
1/3 cup flour
2 1/2 cups cream
3/4 lb grated cheddar cheese

Heat peanut oil in soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, tomato and jalapenos and saute until onion is almost translucent and garlic is golden brown. Add precooked chicken and chicken stock. Simmer over low heat 1/2 hour. While chicken simmers, prepare a roux: Melt butter in skillet over low-medium heat. Add flour and stir to blend. Cook, stirring continuously, 3 to 5 minutes or until flour is cooked and is a very light golden color. Add cream to soup and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to low-medium and whisk in cheese. Slowly stir 1 to 2 cups hot soup into roux. Immediately add back into soup, stirring to blend. Soup will thicken slightly. Remove from heat and serve with tortilla chips.

“Chickens don't praise their own soup”

--Martinican Proverb