Paired with an IPA
Beer I could think of no better pairing for this chicken soup than an IPA. I love IPAs with southwestern and Mexican-inspired foods. They pair so well with the spiciness and really highlight the bold flavors. I prefer a single-hopped IPA for this dish, but any great IPA will do just fine.
Dinner For the dinner pairings for this recipe, I would start with this soup as an appetizer. It’s the perfect way to start a southwestern/Mexican-inspired dinner. My second course would be a simple dinner recipe of 30 minutes chicken enchilada pasta bake. This recipe is so simple, but packs some bold flavors. I would end this three course dinner with my dulce de leche brownies. I can’t think of a better three course meal! This one has a ton of pizazz without forcing you to spend hours in the kitchen. Dinner can be on the table quickly, leaving you more time to enjoy your evening!
Southwestern Chicken Soup with Cornmeal Dumplings
Justine
20 minPrep Time
50 minCook Time
1 hr, 10 Total Time
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Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- pinch of cayenne
- salt and black pepper
- 1/2 cup masa harina
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 2 10-ounce cans red enchilada sauce
- 2 cups frozen corn
- 1 14-ounce can black beans
- 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 4-ounce can diced green chilies
- 2 cups shredded chicken breast (full-cooked)
- Optional Garnish: micro greens, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, diced avocado
Instructions
- First, prepare your cornmeal dumplings. Line a large plate with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, and black pepper. Stir in the buttermilk and butter. Let stand for an hour at room temperature. Roll the dough into 1 tablespoon-sized balls and place them on the prepared plate. Cover the dumplings with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to use.
- Heat the oil in a large dutch oven set over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and stir. Cook for an additional 1 minute. Stir in the cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and a dash of salt and black pepper. Cook for an additional 1 minute. Stir in the masa harina and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Stir in the chicken broth and red enchilada sauce. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. Add the corn, black beans, diced tomatoes, green chilies, and chicken breast. Simmer the soup for 10 more minutes.
- Add the dumplings to the soup and lower the heat to low. Cover and cook until the dumplings are tender, about 25-30 minutes. Keep the soup warm until you are ready to serve.
- Serve the southwestern soup with cornmeal dumplings and optional garnishes. Enjoy!
Notes
Alternatively, you may add the cornmeal dumplings as you heat the soup. For example, if you are only serving a couple of servings, don't add all of the dumplings. Just add enough for each serving. If you are interested in reheating the soup at a later date, this will keep the dumplings from getting mushy. When reheating the soup, just add the dumplings as you normally would. The dumplings will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.
