Creamy Green Chile Chicken Soup

Creamy Green Chile Chicken Soup

It's now Balloon Fiesta here in New Mexico. We don't go to the Balloon Fiesta very often, but it's something I look forward to every year. The skies are beautiful and, for me, is the official start of fall. It's kind of funny how the weather turns as soon as the Balloon Fiesta comes around each year. Right on schedule, the mornings have gotten a lot more crisp and the evenings are getting darker earlier. As soon as it does, I want to pull out my scarves and eat chile and stew and all those wonderful fall comfort foods. It's my favorite time of year!

Green chile chicken soup is one of my favorite things to eat. It's a year-around thing for me. And our hospital cafeteria actually makes some killer green chile chicken soup, though it's very simple and nothing fancy. It's served every Tuesday and for awhile I was walking over and getting a bowl every week. I'm on the search for the recipe like the one at work. Once I find it, I'm making it and sharing it.

This recipe is different than the one at work because it's more creamy. The recipe calls for cream cheese and half and half, so it's a very rich soup. I love the extra little something the cream cheese gives to the soup and it complements the chicken and the green chile perfectly.

I originally found this recipe in one of my cookbooks, but changed it so that it uses already cooked meat instead of making your own stock and cooking the chicken. I also halved the recipe and added some more seasoning, which is reflected below. This makes about 4-5 servings, so if you want more, you can double the recipe. I actually might do that myself!

Happy New Mexico fall with lots of love and green chile. :-)

PS - How is it that my pictures look good on one computer and then drab on another!

Creamy Green Chile Chicken Soup
Adapted from "A Taste of Enchantment"

1 Tbs. canola oil
1/2 large onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 c. chicken stock
1 1/2 c. chicken, cooked and shredded (store-bought rotisserie works here)
1 c. green chile, diced
1 Tbs. flour
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 c. half and half
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4. tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

In a large saucepan or dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for about a minute, until fragrant. Add chicken stock, raise heat and bring to a boil.

When stock is boiling, remove 1/2 c. of broth and let it cool. To the boiling broth, add shredded chicken and green chile.

After reserved broth is cool, add 1 Tbs. of flour to it and whisk until well blended. Add the flour mixture back into the boiling broth and mix well. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

In a small bowl, add the cream cheese. Gradually add the half and half, whisking constantly. This is so the mixture won't be as clumpy when you add it to the soup; if it's a little clumpy, don't worry because it will end up melting into the soup.

Add the cream cheese mixture gradually into the soup, whisking constantly. When cream cheese mixture is added, reduce the heat to a simmer then add in the rest of your powdered spices (garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper).

Simmer the soup for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the soup thickens. Do not boil.

Ladle soup into bowls and enjoy!