Kicked-Up Hatch Chile Pepper Soup

 It was forty four degrees when I got up this morning. Forty four. Degrees. Fahrenheit.  And do you know what?  I LOVED IT!  I'd left the window open before I went to bed, and in the wee hours found myself reaching for the denim comforter that I had laundered and placed, folded, on a nearby chair. The calendar may say mid-September, but in my heart of hearts, it is deep into fall. Hallelujah!

When fall comes it means that I shift into soup and stew mode. Thick, hearty, warm-you-from-the-inside-out soups, stews, and don't forget those hot loaves of bread fresh from the oven. The apple (Ooh! Another sign of fall!) didn't fall far from the tree when it came to my number two son, Andrew (whom you have to thank for the Fried Rice and Cherry Limeade Bars recipes), who loves to whip up a hot bowl of hearty goodness in the fall as much as I do. Because he is my pepper roasting buddy, I shared a portion of them with him, and he made this delicious Hatch Chile Soup. He had me taste it before he told me what was in it, and I couldn't get enough. It does warm from the inside out due to the spice content -- the Chile Mash in particular -- but, surprisingly, it was not too hot for a “mild-to-medium-heat” kind of girl like me. 

Kicked-Up

Hatch Chile Pepper Soup

1 lb. ground sirloin

1 tablespoon butter

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 red onion, diced

2 cups of Melissa's Hatch chiles roasted* and chopped

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced

2-3 ears of fresh sweet corn, cut off the cob

1 14-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes

1 32-oz. container of beef stock

1 teaspoon cumin

2 teaspoons freshly ground coriander

Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon Montreal Steak Seasoning

1 teaspoon – 1 tablespoon Melissa’s Red Savina Chile Mash

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

  

For serving:

Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded

Diced avocado

Sour cream

Chopped parsley

  

Brown the ground sirloin in a large stockpot.  Pour off the fat, if any, and return meat to pot. Add butter, garlic, onion, roasted Hatch chiles, sweet potato, corn, and tomatoes. Stir together.  Add stock, give it another stir, and then add seasonings, to taste.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer, and cook for 3-4 hours, tasting for further seasoning.

Depending upon how thick you like your soups you may want to use a roux to thicken. 

*A tutorial on how to roast chile peppers can be found here.

This post is linked to:

Tasty Tuesday

Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Try a New Recipe Tuesday

Tasty Tuesdays

Wow Us Wednesday
Work It Wednesday

What’s It Wednesday

Full Plate Thursday

Foodie Friday