Chicken & Rice Soup

The cool weather has finally reached Texas, that means soup time! I was very ambitious and made two this week: an old favorite, Pasta Fagioli and a new concoction, this one. Loosely based on a favorite from trips to Mexico, this is my very "gringo" version of Pazole. Beep had purchased two rotisserie chickens before leaving town and after a couple of days I noticed an untouched chicken staring back at me every time I opened the refrigerator. What to do with that lonely chicken??? It has dropped below 70 degrees, so, "make soup," I thought to myself. The chicken had a neighbor named cilantro, that was left over from some salsa that had been made a few days prior, and I still have jalapenos growning in the back yard, "Make it Mexican soup!" So I did.
Beep LOVED it, I was shocked at just how much he loved it, he barely touched one of his all time favorites, the Pasta Fagioli.


STOCK INGREDIENTS:
1 Rotisserie Chicken
1 Clove garlic
1 Stalk celery
1/4 Yellow onion
1 Handful cilantro leaves and stems
Large pinch Saffron threads

PREPARATION:
6-8 Cups water, enough to cover the chicken
Place all ingredients in a pot and simmer at least 30 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and pull off meat, discarding skin, fat and bones. Set pulled chicken aside. Strain broth into a large glass bowl through a fine sieve, set aside.

SOUP INGREDIENTS:
2 T Olive oil
1/4 Cup diced celery
1/4 Cup diced yellow onion
1 tsp. Salt & Pepper
1/2 tsp. adobo seasoning
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1 Roasted jalapeno, seeded and minced (Roast over an open flame or in the oven until the skin bubbles and is blackened.)
1 15oz Can Hominy
8 oz. Chicken broth plus reserved broth from above
1 Large red tomato, seeded and diced
Cilantro and Avocado for garnish
1 Cup cooked white rice, I used Basmati rice

PREPARATION:
In the same stock pot, over medium heat, add olive oil and saute celery and onion until caramelized. Season with salt, pepper, adobo, and cumin. Add the jalapeno and saute a minute or two. Pour reserved broth and 8 oz. of broth into the pot. Add the chicken and cooked rice to the pot, simmer 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if necessary. Turn off heat and allow to cool. Meanwhile, slice and seed one large tomato. Dice the "meat" of the tomato and add to the soup. Serve with cilantro garnish and slices of fresh avocado or refrigerate and garnish prior to serving. In Cancun, they garnish with sliced radish as well, but I didn't have any on hand.