Enjoy a yummy dinner on a fall or winter evening with this comforting soup packed with the wonderful flavors of the southwest!
I swear back-to-school after the holidays is synonymous with “goodbye brain!” to me. I feel like my mind is moving at a million miles a minute all the time once the kids head back. If it’s not preparing the snacks, it’s the helping with homework and reading or managing the mounds of paperwork that come home each evening. My calendar has a hard time keeping me on track sometimes!
When I’m creating new dinner recipes in the kitchen, the kids are typically at the table working those math problems. They’ll call out their questions about this or that while I’m measuring the ingredients and trying to keep tabs on how much of each item I’ve added. Sometimes I feel like I need two brains to keep track of the information and conversation overload I receive on a daily basis, especially once the kids are home. 🙂
And then my baby’s typically on the floor attached to my leg and my three-year-old is hanging out on the counter watching mom’s every move. How I love and cherish these moments, but things definitely get crazy around here!
If I had a dollar for every scatterbrained moment I have, I’d be rich! So I knew I wanted to make a southwest soup of some sort this particular evening, and I had every intention of using chicken, so I thawed a frozen baggie of meat from the freezer, totally thinking it was chicken. (Note to self: labeling the baggies may be helpful). When I went to start dinner, I did the palm to the face thing when I realized it was pork. But, then I got really happy and thanked myself for this absentminded “mistake” as I was putting it all together and smelling the delicious aroma. This soup was meant to include pork! Sure, chicken or turkey would be lovely too, but the pork was everything it needed and more to round it out and give it just the right substance.
Don’t get me started on the incredible deliciousness of this concoction! If you live in or have been to the southwest, (if neither, you should visit sometime because you’re totally missing out), then you’ll know that we like our food packed with flavor! Green chiles are a staple here. In fact, I spend an entire day out of every year getting a huge box of them roasted and then peeling, chopping and freezing them so I can add them to basically everything. Combine that with black beans, jalapeños, sweet yellow corn kernels, Mexican style tomatoes and cheese in a chili powder and cumin-infused broth, and it’s basically a southwestern party in your mouth with every bite.
Southwest Pork Soup
A yummy, comforting soup jam-packed with bold flavors of the southwest!
Ingredients
- 1/4 c. small-diced jalapeños seeds and membranes removed
- 1/2 medium onion diced
- 1/4 c. green chiles chopped
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. minced garlic
- 2 tsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. cumin
- Pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 c. corn
- 1 can 14.5 oz Mexican Style stewed tomatoes
- 4 c. chicken broth
- 1 can 15 oz. black beans, rinsed and drained
- 3 c. cubed pork tenderloin in bite-sized pieces
- 2 Tbsp. flour
- 1/2 c. milk
- Shredded cheese sour cream and crushed tortilla chips for garnish
Instructions
- In a large soup pot over the stove top, saute onions, jalapeños and green chiles with garlic in olive oil for 2-3 minutes until soft. Add in uncooked, cubed pork loin, then sprinkle chili powder, cumin and a pinch of salt over. Cook and toss, stirring often, over the stovetop until pork is completely cooked through. Add chicken broth and Mexican-Style tomatoes and allow mixture to come to a boil while breaking up the stewed tomatoes slightly.
- Whisk together milk and flour in a separate bowl and pour in. Let it return to a boil to allow the mixture to thicken slightly. Turn down the heat, stir in corn and black beans, then allow mixture to simmer, covered, for at least 20 minutes for the flavors to blend. Serve with shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream and crushed tortilla chips. Enjoy!
Notes
This soup has a slight kick as is, but if you want to give it more spice, just add hot green chiles or leave some of the membranes and seeds on the jalapenos.
I like parties, but especially this kind! You’re invited too! The scrumptious festivities with every spoonful cannot be beat. I hope you get to enjoy this very soon! Don’t wait for the cold weather to set in first! This recipe needs a “rush to make!” stamp on it! This makes a lot, so be prepared to feed an army!
Comments