This is a more “from-scratch” and meat-inclusive version of my quicker, spicy southwest veggie soup.

Ingredients

amount	ingredient
50g	black beans, dry
50g	white beans, dry
100g	kidney beans, dry
1 lb	chicken breast
24g	oil
160g	onion, diced
150g	bell pepper, diced
28 oz	tomatoes, diced
28 oz	water
15g	Better Than Bouillon
12 oz	corn, frozen
1 oz	jalapenos
2 T	cumin
1 T	chili powder
1 tsp	salt
to taste	black pepper
½ tsp	garlic powder
½ tsp	MSG
¼-½ cup	cilantro, chopped, fresh or frozen
1	lime, fresh, juice of (optional)

Process

Instant Pot

1. add all dried beans to Instant Pot and cover with ~1″ of water

pressure: high
time: 15 minutes
release: 10 minute natural

2. drain beans, set aside

sauté: high

3. add oil and chicken, sear until chicken is no longer pink; set aside
4. add onions and bell peppers, cook until translucent
5. add all other ingredients, including chicken, to pressure cooker

pressure: high
time: 4 minutes
release: 15 minute natural

6. remove chicken breast and set aside to cool enough to handle
7. blend soup sporadically with immersion blender until desired consistency reached (optional)
8. dice chicken into bite-sized pieces, or shred and return to pot
9. add cilantro and fresh lime juice, mix well and serve immediately

Stovetop

I’ve never bothered to make beans on the stovetop and wouldn’t recommend it to others. If you already have beans (canned, frozen, or just extra lying around, proceed with the below. Otherwise, just submerge dry beans in water and cook them forever.

1. in heavy-bottom pot, add oil and sear chicken until no longer pink; set aside
2. add onions and bell peppers, cook until translucent
3. add the rest of the ingredients, including chicken; simmer until chicken is cooked through and all other components have meshed together
4. remove chicken and allow to cool enough to handle
5. blend soup sporadically with immersion blender until desired consistency reached (optional)
6. dice chicken into bite-sized pieces, or shred, and return to pot
7. add cilantro and fresh lime juice, mix well and serve immediately

Notes

This soup goes great with:

• a dollop of sour cream
• corn tortilla strips, chips, or broken up tostada/tortilla shells
• shredded cheese of choice
• avocado
• fresh jalapeno coins
• a dash of hot sauce
• crusty bread

Picture shows soup made with 3-4 T of heavy cream, and 2 cans of tomato sauce instead of the diced tomatoes, since that’s what I had on hand. I had already copied my before small and uniform, and with no large tomato chunks, I didn’t bother to blend. Extra lime juice and pepper jack cheese added to serve.

See the freezing guide for tips and information on freezer-safe food storage.