Southwestern Corn Chowder

Hubby was so sweet today.  He requested a nice warm soup for supper.  Easy enough.  As I started digging through the cookbooks looking for a recipe that I had all the ingredients for, he said, "What are you doing?  I thought that you would just open a can!"  He wanted to save me time and effort.  I found a super easy soup instead and saved the cans for a rushed lunch.  This recipe grabbed my attention because it had basic ingredients that I typically have in house; it also was a chowder without a milk base (good for lactose intolerant hubbies).

 Southwestern Corn Chowder

1 lb chicken breast cut into cubes

1 med onion, diced

1 T oil

2 tsp cumin

2 cans chicken broth

1 pkg frozen corn (10 oz)

3/4 c picante sauce (I used salsa)

1/2 c chopped sweet red pepper

1/2 c chopped green pepper

2 T minced fresh cilantro (or 2 tsp dried)

2 T cornstarch

2 T water

shredded Monterey Jack cheese, opt.

In 3 qt. saucepan, cook chicken and onion i oil until chicken juices run clear.  Stir in cumin.  Add broth, corn, and picante sauce.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes.  Stir in pepper and cilantro.

Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into soup.  Bring to a boil cook and stir for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened.  Spoon into bowls; top with cheese if desired.

1 c = 164 cal (without cheese)

I also thought that this would be good with 1/2 of the chicken and a can of black beans ... maybe next time.