This is a slightly modified version of a recipe my mom has been making for years.   Wildly popular with friends and family  :-)

(10) 6″ corn tortillas – cut into 1/4″ thick strips

1 lrg. onion – minced

2 cloves garlic – minced

2 Tbls. vegetable oil OR olive oil

15 oz. can tomato puree

4 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup hot sauce 

1 poblano pepper – seeded, minced,

1 minced jalapeno pepper 

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. chili powder – optional

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/4 cup all-purpose flour mixed with 1/2 cup water

1 lb. cooked chicken – shredded

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup sour cream

8 oz. Pub Cheese – Jalapeno flavor

1 Tbls. chopped fresh cilantro – for garnish

-Deep-fry tortilla strips in 350 degree oil OR spray with non-stick cooking spray and bake in a 400 degree oven until crisp; lightly salt if desired; set aside.

-In a large pot over medium-high heat, sauté onions and garlic in oil until soft.

-Add the next 10 ingredients to the pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes.

-Whisk flour/water mixture into soup.

-Bring contents of pot to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

-Add chicken to pot and continue to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

-Add cream, sour cream, and cheese to pot; stir until cheese has melted.

-Pour soup into bowls, pile tortilla strips into a “haystack” shape on top of the soup, garnish with cilantro.

Wine Pairing – I actually love this soup with cider or beer.   It would be pretty nice with a Zinfandel as well.

Chicken Tikka Masala Soup

Just like my favorite Indian dish, only in soup form and spicier  :-)

Ingredients (chicken):

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• a few grinds of black pepper

Ingredients (soup):

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
• 1/3 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• additional salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

• In a small saucepan, bring chicken broth to a boil.   Add chicken breast, salt and pepper, lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until chicken is tender.   Shred chicken with a fork.
• In large pot, heat canola oil. Add the onions and cook until soft and golden. Add the garlic and ginger. Cook until fragrant (just a minute or two).
• Sprinkle in the curry powder, garam masala, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt and flour, stirring to coat the vegetables until a paste begins to form. Add one cup of vegetable broth and stir until the mixture has smoothed out. Add the remaining cup of broth and the tomatoes. Turn heat to high, bring to a boil, then return heat to medium how. Add chicken.   Allow the soup to simmer for 15 minutes.
• Turn heat to low and add the coconut milk and cream. Taste, and adjust for salt and pepper.

Pairing – Viognier or Grenache Blanc

Currently enjoying with 2011 Two Shepherds Pastoral Blanc – fantastic pairing!

A few readers have requested for me to post some of my favorite recipes, so I will be including recipes on this website as well!  Recipes will be relatively easy to make, always delicious and I’ll be making pairing suggestions too.

Cheers…. Thanks for reading!  :-)

The Pepper Pot is an interesting name for a bottle of wine.   I would expect this to be a total fruit and pepper bomb, and hoping it isn’t green bell pepper.   6 grapes in this blend, mostly Syrah.   As soon as I poured it, I could smell how jammy it was.   Smells like Fruit Roll Ups, sugary sweet.   The mouthfeel is ripe with explosive berry, and the finish was reminiscent of raspberry juice chased with a shot of freshly ground white pepper.   If I served this at a party for friends, it would be a hit.   Very easy to drink, with a relatively high alcohol content and no bite on the midpalate or finish.   Hmmm, maybe serving this at a party would be a bad idea.   Enjoy in moderation  :-)

$15.00/bottle

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