Mildly Spicy Chicken and Kale Soup

The other day when I got my share of vegetables from an organic coop I belong to, I found, among other things, kale, Anaheim chilies and potatoes. It was a rainy day, and a little on the cold side, so I decided to use those vegetables to make a soup. I scrounged around in my pantry to see what else I could use and found chicken bouillon cubes, an onion, and cream of chicken soup. Though I had never made a soup with those specific ingredients, I was willing to experiment.

The outcome was a slightly spicy soup, just spicy enough to be flavorful, but not so spicy that people who don't like spicy food would have a hard time with it. Each member of my family went back for seconds, which means that I'll be making this one again.

Mildly Spicy Chicken and Kale Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 6 chicken bouillon cubes
• 3 Anaheim chilies
• 1 bunch of kale or spinach
• 1 onion
• 2 potatoes
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup

Place the chicken breasts into a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and simmer until cooked through, about 30 - 40 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the pot and place it on a cutting board or plate. Allow it to sit until it is cool enough to handle.

While you're waiting for the chicken to cool, do the following:

1. Using a spoon, remove and discard the with frothy scum that is on the surface of the water.
2. Remove and discard the tops of the chilies.
3. Cut the chilies into 1/4" thick rounds.
4. Peel and chop the onion.
5. Scrub the potatoes and cut them into 1/2" sized cubes. I personally like to leave the skin on, but if you prefer to have your potatoes peeled, peel them before cutting them into cubes.
6. Remove the tough stem from the center of each leaf of kale and tear the kale into bite-sized pieces. If you are using spinach instead of kale, just cut off the stem portion that is beneath each spinach leaf.

By now the chicken should be cool enough to handle. Cut it into 1" cubes.

Put the chicken, bouillon cubes, chilies, kale or spinach, onion and potatoes into the pot and add 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook for about 30 minutes, or until the potatoes and other vegetables are tender.

Stir in the cream of chicken soup, and cook until heated through.

Serves 4-6