Southwestern Cream of Chicken Soup

By cindygwest

Ingredients

• 3 T. butter
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 poblano chile, seeded and diced
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1 T. minced garlic
• 1 t. hot chili powder
• 1 t. ground cumin
• 1/2 t. ground coriander
• 6 T. flour, divided
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 cup beer
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dry converted white rice
• 3 cups shredded pepper Jack cheese
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• Lime slices

Preparation

Step 1

Melt butter in a large pot. Stir in bell pepper, poblano, onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, and coriander. Sweat mixture until peppers begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
Whisk in 3 T. flour to coat vegetables; cook 2 minutes. Whisk in milk, beer, and broth until smooth. Bring mixture to a simmer. Stir in rice; simmer until tender, about 15 minutes.
Combine cheese with remaining 3 T. flour in a resealable plastic bag; toss to coat. Add cheese to soup a handful at a time, stirring to melt completely before adding the next handful. Add chicken and cilantro to heat, 3 - 5 minutes.
Garnish each serving of soup with lime slices.