Mexican Sunshine Soup

Is it just me, or is everyone suddenly getting sick? Almost everyone I know right now is either coming down with a cold, has a cold, or is recovering from a cold. Somehow, I'm still among the healthy and I am really hoping to stay that way. For some reason, I seem to believe that eating soup will somehow keep me well. So, with a leftover chicken carcass in the fridge, I decided to throw together a little soup recipe that came to me while walking my dog, using ingredients I had in the fridge.

I call it Mexican Sunshine Soup, which I garnished with some cilantro lime rice (this time, I made it without the oil and I think the rice tastes better without it, so save yourself the calories). A note about rice in soups--it tastes so much better if you add it separately instead of cooking it in the soup. For one thing, it will help your soup keep longer because the rice won't break down in the broth, and the rice holds its shape nicely. I didn't come up with this, mind you. They do it this way at a little soup place I like called Atwaters and I thought it was brilliant.

I also added  a little bit of diced avocado, and thinly sliced radishes. So yummy! I happen to really not like sour cream, but if you like it, you might want to add a little on top. ¡Olé!



Mexican Sunshine Soup
1 T canola oil
1 celery stalk, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 T cumin
1/4 t oregano
1/4 t cinnamon
1 t chile powder
cayenne pepper to taste (I like it spicy!)
a dash of paprika
4 cups chicken broth
28-oz can of diced tomatoes with their juices
1 cup diced cooked chicken (optional)
1/2 cup sliced cabbage
can of green chiles
fresh chopped cilantro
diced avocado (approx 1 T per serving)
sliced radishes (about 4 slices per serving)


In a soup pot, saute celery, onion, and carrot in canola oil over medium high heat. Season with kosher salt to sweat the vegetables. Do not brown them. When they are beginning to soften, add the peppers, and then saute a few minutes more. Add the garlic and stir for 20 seconds. Then sprinkle over cumin and mix in with the veggies to toast it a minute. Add the rest of the spices, along with chicken broth, tomatoes, and cabbage. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes. Then add in your chicken and cabbage. Simmer until the cabbage is tender, about 10 minutes.

Serve hot, topped with cilantro lime rice and any other garnishes you would like.