It was April in Minnesota and I was still seeing snowflakes out my window (noooooo!!!), so I decided soup was still on the menu. This recipe is not as heavy as a traditional chili, but more a cross between chicken soup and chili and is a whole meal in itself. I used to make it only when I had extra turkey on hand after Thanksgiving, but now I’ll buy a whole roasted chicken at the grocery store, and use that to get going on the soup. Make this when entertaining a crowd, or for a few, and freeze some for later. Since it’s not milk-based, it freezes really well. I found the skeleton of this recipe online years ago, but have tweaked and added to it so that it no longer resembles the original. The trace amount of ground cloves in the broth give a unique, yet compelling flavor twist to this southwestern-style soup.

Makes 8 servings

For soup:

2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups ½-inch pieces cooked chicken or turkey
3-4 cups canned or homemade chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, or 2 teaspoons dried cilantro
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cans (15-16 oz. each) great northern beans, drained
2 cans (15 oz. each) corn, drained
2 cans (15 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained

Garnish:

Blue or yellow corn tortilla chips, crushed
Sour cream (optional)
Grated Monty Jack cheese (optional)

Melt butter in large Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook onion first until translucent, and add green peppers to sauté until slightly tender, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes more, stirring often. Stir in all remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Serve soup with crushed chips and sour cream or cheese, if desired.

NOTE: This recipe is gluten-free if you make your own chicken broth, and use 100% corn tortilla chips.