Slow Cooker Chorizo and Poblano Soup

It's fall here in Eugene. I can see that the leaves are just beginning to turn and I'm so thrilled! Fall means so many incredible things here in the Buchholz house. Possibly one of the best things is SOUP! It's soup season. If I'm being honest every season is soup season to me, but it feels right in the fall. It's cozy and warm and delicious. It's a food hug.

 I've cooked my entire life and I almost always change recipes. It's actually a bad habit of mine. Some of the recipes I've changed so drastically, that more things are different than the same. So I've made the leap now. I'm getting my creative juices flowing, and I'm making my own recipes. It's more fun than I thought it would be. I'm not sure why I assumed it wouldn't be. I love food, food loves me. It seems like a natural thing to do right? The biggest struggle is writing it down quite frankly. The munchkins are usually dangling off my legs while I chop and write. It's chaos in the best of ways...until a toddler grabs a knife! AHHHH put the knife down! No don't give it to your brother! You get the overall picture I think.

I'm a big advocate for having the kids eat what we eat, but for my first soup creation I wanted instant gratification. For me that means chorizo. Extra spicy chorizo is too hot for our littles, but I can't stop cooking with it. Ever since I made my first pot of Caldo Verde, I'm sold on the stuff. In case you are wondering, yes, I know what's in it. It's made from all the leftover parts just like hot dogs. I don't care. It's delicious, delicious, delicious! I'll eat cheek fat and lymph nodes every day if it tastes this good. Okay now that I've thoroughly grossed everyone out, I'll try to redeem myself. We buy ours at a local butcher. The quality is far better and I trust the farming conditions because I know where it's coming from.

I added a bit of cayenne pepper to my chorizo because I got the mild chorizo.

My husband is my best food critic and he also loves chorizo. When I met Jamie, he was living off of pizza and taco bell. I like to think he's upgraded a bit. He's the kind of guy that goes into a restaurant for the one dish he likes. He will not branch out. I, on the other hand, love trying new dishes. Because of this I've been pushing different foods on him for over ten years now. I'm very happy with his progress.

So for this soup, I wanted something spicy and creamy. The chorizo provides a lot of spice on it's own, but for me it's not quite enough. My jalapeno plant is going nuts still so that seemed like an obvious choice. I also enjoy poblano peppers a lot. They don't have any spice to them, but they do have a nice unique flavor to them. If you are having trouble finding them at your local supermarket they may be labled pasillas instead. They are usually in the ethnic produce section. Don't skip them though. They really do add a nice flavor to the soup.










My crockpot gets a lot of use at our house. That was another must for this recipe. I just love the anticipation of smelling the food you are having for dinner throughout the day.






You start with all the peeling and chopping. It's a little work but totally worth it in the end.

Here it all is minus the cream and cheese. Doesn't it just look deliciously spicy?







And after all that yummy slow cooking it's cheesy, creamy time.

Now Eat!

YUM YUM YUM

Slow Cooker Chorizo and Poblano Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. chorizo
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 2 poblano peppers
• 1 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 2 c. frozen sweet corn
• 2 c. peeled/cubed potatoes
• 1 jalapeno
• 1 T. chopped garlic
• 1 chopped leek
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. of cayenne pepper
• 6 c. chicken stock
• 1 c. heavy cream
• 1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Chop poblano peppers and set aside. Heat oil in large pan. Add chorizo and poblano. Cook chorizo until no longer pink.
2. Chop all other vegetables and place in slow cooker. Add all other ingredients except the cream and cheddar cheese.
3. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Check to be sure potatoes are done.
4. Remove lid and mash most of the potatoes with a potato masher.
5. Add cream and cheddar cheese. Give a good stir and serve.