An easy, flavorful addition to any Sunday football gathering which makes for a quick workweek lunch. Add favorite crackers or bread and enjoy! I use a large 12 quart pot, but the recipe can be halved for a 6 qt.
Ingredients:
1 - 2 lb. cooked chicken diced into small pieces (for best results pull off bones from rotisserie chicken from Costco/Safeway, etc… otherwise use chicken breasts sautéed in skillet)
1 large red onion (or 2 small onions)
1 ½ -2 lb. of carrots
1 clump of celery
2 sweet peppers (e.g. one red, one yellow) Fat from ½ to 1 pound of cooked bacon
1 bottle of beer (the skunkier the better; Guinness or IPA work well)
3 – 32 oz. packages of low sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Spices:
Frank’s red Hot
Garlic powder
Salt
Pepper
Cayenne pepper (if desired, to taste) Tobasco sauce (if desired, to taste)
Thyme
Bay leaf
Oregano
1. Chop all vegetables into bite size but hearty chunks. Put in large mixing bowl. Add oil, some salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Mix well.
2. Over medium-high heat, add vege mix to large pot (ideally 12 qt size). Then add the solidified bacon grease to the vege mix and stir well. Allow to cook until vegetables darken in color and are a bit softer, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
3. Add in cooked chicken and Frank’s Red Hot sauce (I use about ¼ cup, but use at least 1 Tble for flavor). Sprinkle Oregano, Thyme, cayenne pepper (if desired for more heat), pepper & garlic and mix well. Allow to cook for another 3-5 minutes.
4. Pour in chicken broth. Add bay leaf. Pour in beer. Add a bit of water into the empty beer bottle, swish around and pour into soup to get all the skunkiest bits of beer from the bottle.
5. Reduce heat to medium. Cook/simmer UNCOVERED for at least 30 minutes and taste. (too spicy, add water a cup at a time, taste after 5 min. Not spicy enough, add Cayenne pepper and Tobasco sauce as desired). Continue simmering over medium heat for an additional hour, stirring once in a while, and do a final taste for desired spice level.
