ATS Wednesdays: Soup for You!
Here’s Soup For You!
As much as we love being based here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, the cold and rainy winter months can be a struggle for anyone living here. As we make the transition into spring, we can’t help but reflect on a tradition that’s kept our office warm and vibrant through an otherwise trying season, a tradition that’s already practiced in firehouses across the country: Shared meals!
Every Wednesday, members of our staff take turns cooking up a personal home soup recipe to share with the office. It gives us a chance to come together as a community, as well as a workplace, to share the time honored gift of warm, hearty good eats. We know that shared meals are an important aspect of any fire department, as sharing food creates a sense of brotherhood and community like nothing else can and, let’s face it, there’s nothing better than home-cooked.
So, from our kitchen to yours, here’s a delicious recipe from our very own Founder and CEO, George Avila.
George’s Mexican Chicken Stew
Ingredients:
1 lb. pkg boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
½ sweet onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 32 oz pkg Pacific brand roasted pepper and tomato soup base
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp chili powder
¼ cup fresh lime juice
2 tbsp cumin (or to taste)
1 tbsp coriander (or to taste)
1 ½ tsp oregano
1 tsp sage
1 tsp rosemary
1 large tomato, diced
1 bundle of cilantro, finely chopped
Start by browning the chicken in a skillet. It shouldn’t take much time, just enough to give the chicken some color. Set it aside when you’re done. You’ll add it into the stew later.
Then, in a medium cooking pot, heat some olive oil and sauté the celery, carrots, onion, garlic, and jalapeño for 8-10 minutes. Just enough time to release the flavors.
Add in the package of red pepper/tomato soup base along with your chicken and lime juice, and then add salt, chili powder, and herbs to taste. The amounts in this recipe produce a very mild spiciness, but you can always add in more to kick up the flavor. Experiment and find what works for you!
Let simmer for 30 minutes, add chopped tomato and cilantro, and then let sit for another 30 minutes.
And voila! Enjoy your stew!
