Chicken Tamale Soup

Ingredients

• 14 cups Water
• 1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon (Chicken Bouillon)
• 1 Onion Chopped
• 4-5 Large Carrots Chopped
• 2 Stalks of Celery Chopped
• 1 Can or Organic Diced Tomatoes (Plus their Juices)
• 1 tablespoon Smoked Paprika
• 1 tablespoon (regular) Paprika
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Chili Powder
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Garlic Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
• 1 teaspoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Oregano
• 2 cups Masa Corn Flour
• 1 tablespoon Salt
• 1-2 pound Chicken Breast or Thighs diced

Directions

Tamales hold a special place in my family. I often get really strong craving for them. If you have never had them I reccommend you try my recipe  at some point Tamales with Pumpkin Chipotle Sauce (or even if you have had them- I think you’ll especially love these Tamales).  Last night was one of those nights that I didn’t feel like making any sort of mess in the kitchen. So I pulled out my big soup pot- and deconstructed the basic chicken tamale ingredients into a soup- and added some veggies to make it more soup like.

This Soup is similar to say a Tortilla Soup- Its extremely comforting.  I wish I had thought to do this a long time ago. This will be a regular meal from here on out in our house!

This Recipe makes a BIG Pot of soup. Enough to feed a family of 8 in one sitting. If you don’t have a family that large- you will be thankful for the leftovers the next day.  I thoroughly enjoyed this soup for breakfast today!

1. In a Heavy Bottomed Soup Pot Combine the Water, Chicken Bouillon, Onion, Carrots, Celery, Diced Chicken, Can of Tomatoes and all of the spices. Cover and allow to gently boil for 45 minutes or so.
2. Using a Potato Masher or Hand Mixer- Puree the Soup. This Can also be done in a blender. Though I never like to bother getting another piece of kitchen equipment dirty. This step can be omitted completely- I just find that I enjoy the soup when it is slightly pureed. I just used a potato masher to break everything a part somewhat.
3. Into a separate bowl add the Masa Corn Flour. Remove 2 Cups of hot soup and add it to this bowl with the Masa Flour. Whisk together to create a thick paste- Pour this mixture into the large soup pot and whisk in. The Soup will thicken. (Note* If you just pour the Masa Flour directly into the Hot Soup- It will clump together)
4. Serve the Soup Hot!

A few things you can adjust to your liking.. You can add more of Less of the Masa Corn Flour- keep in mind that it will thicken slightly as the soup continues to cook- and you will find your leftovers in the fridge the next day have gotten even thicker. This Soup is wonderful with some minced Cilantro on top & some crushed corn chips add a nice bit of saltiness and texture. Some Like Avocado slices on top of their soup- this is good but not required. Also- Feel free to experiment with the vegetables that go into the soup- all we had in our fridge last evening vegetable wise was Carrots and Celery- but I would think that Chopped Celerac would taste wonderful and maybe some zucchini. You Might also try adding a can of Black Beans. Sprinkling some Daiya Cheese on top. I suggest using 1-2 lbs of Chicken. I used only one- but thought next time I might double this amount. But- If you only have 1 lb on hand- the soup will not suffer!