Random Junk Soup (spicy version)

As everyone enters our break area, they ask "What are you cooking today?", or "What's on the menu?".  My answer today was "soup".  Of course, that drives the second question "What kind of soup?".  "Random Junk Soup" (a spicy version, and I have cooked quite a few others) is what it became.

Today's dish wasn't "nuker-based", as I am still playing with my induction cooker.

Soup ready to eat

Random ingredients.  I didn't use the corn.

Ingredients

Sweet peppers and cilantro

• 1 chicken breast, cut up
• 1 can kidney beans 
• 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes;  again, I used half of a 28 oz can because it was cheaper.
• a few spoons (about of a large can 1/8 can) tomato sauce
• 3 chipotle peppers, chopped; mine were in adobo sauce, and there is never any reason to wash that tasty stuff off.
• sweet peppers; I used had two small peppers
• a few tablespoons cilantro
• 2 tsp onion powder; 1/2 onion would have been good, but I didn't have one handy.
• 1 tbsp caldo (use a bullion cube or stock/broth if that works for you)
• whole grain rice; about 1/2 cup, and mine was a blend of "Texmati brown and red rice with barley and rye".  I used this so that the whole grains will somewhat explode when they are cooking in the soup
• water to cook the rice; for the whole grain rice blend I used, it is about 2:1 for the water:rice ratio.
• 1 cup water for hydrating the caldo
• 1 tbsp butter for cooking the chicken; any random oil will work.
• 1/2 tsp oregano

Cooked chicken with chopped chipotle peppers

Directions

1. Partially (mostly) cook the rice.  For me, this was done in the microwave for about 6 minutes on high followed by 12 minutes on 40%.
2. Cook the chicken in the butter
3. Add the chipotle peppers and broth or caldo mixture, cook for a few minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes and tomato sauce
5. Add the rice (including any remaining water that wasn't absorbed)
6. Add the everything else except the cilantro/sweet peppers.
7. Simmer for about 10 minutes on low -- this wasn't a microwave, so the times are longer and flavors can develop better.
8. Add the cilantro and sweet peppers
9. Let it cook for another 10 or so minutes.
10. Serve while hot.

Chunky soup, nearly done

How was it?
With the 3 peppers, it came out nice and spicy with plenty of flavor.  The test victims did not complain one bit, even though it was a little spicy for most people.


What would I do differently next time?
I would probably add more cilantro just before it was done.  The two small sweet peppers I used were not quite enough, so I would probably add more.


Other Suggestions
Some sour cream with this would be very tasty.