Makes: 24 servings
Family size: Make 1/3 the recipe
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 large Onion (chopped)
9 cloves Garlic (pressed)
1 large package (32 oz ea) Baby Carrots (chopped)
1 tablespoon Cumin (ground)
1 tablespoon Salt
1 tablespoon Black Pepper (ground)
6 tablespoons Chipotle Chile Pepper (ground)
1 Package Celery Hearts (chopped)
3 large Green Bell Peppers (chopped)
6 cans (15 oz ea) Black Beans (drained & rinsed)
6 cans (14.5 oz ea) Red Gold® Petite Diced Tomatoes Mexican Fiesta
1½ cups Orange Juice
3 cans (14 oz ea) Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth
6 (about 2½ lbs) Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (diced)
Cheddar Cheese (shredded) to taste
Sour Cream to taste
Tortilla Chips to taste
Coat the bottom of a large soup kettle with the olive oil and heat. Add onions and garlic and saute until onions are translucent. Add carrots, cumin, salt, black pepper, and chipotle chile pepper. Cook on medium heat until carrots begin to get tender. Add celery and green bell pepper and cover for about 10 minutes. Add black beans, diced tomatoes, orange juice, chicken broth, and diced chicken. Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer about 30 minutes until carrots are tender and chicken is cooked through. Spoon into a bowl and sprinkle with cheese, add sour cream, and tortilla chips.
Substitute vegetable broth and remove the chicken for a vegetarian version.
For a less spicy version, cut the chipotle pepper in half and/or use plain diced tomatoes. Add a ¼ cup of lime juice when using plain diced tomatoes.
If you can't find Red Gold® or RedPack® brands, try the store brand. Chances are Red Gold makes their product and the quality typically far exceeds the national brands. Store brands will likely call Mexican Fiesta tomatoes by different names (such as "Salsa Diced"). Look for lime juice in the ingredients. You can substitute diced tomatoes with green chilies as well (this will make the recipe hotter - add ¼ cup lime juice when using diced with green chilies).