Chicken and Pinto Bean Soup with Lime and Cilantro

Ingredients

• 1 onion, diced small
• 1 T chopped garlic
• 1-2 tsp. olive oil
• 8 cups homemade chicken stock
• 2 ts. dried oregano, preferably Mexican Oregano
• 1 T ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. ground Chipotle chile powder
• 2 cans pinto beans with juice
• 4 cups diced, cooked chicken
• 1 can diced green chiles
• 1/2 cup hummus or refried beans
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Warm the olive oil in a frying pan or the soup pot, then cook the onion for 2-3 minutes, stirring now and then. Add the garlic and continue cooking for a couple of minutes.
2. In a large soup pot, combine the homemade chicken stock, cooked onion and garlic, oregano, ground cumin, and Chipotle chile powder. Bring it to a gentle simmer over low heat and cook for about 15 minutes.
3. Stir in the 2 cans pinto beans with their liquid, the cooked chicken, diced green chiles, and the hummus or refried beans if you’re using it. Simmer for 1 hour or a little longer, until the beans are very tender and the flavors have settled in together.
4. Take the pot off the heat, then stir in the lime juice and chopped cilantro.
5. Serve the soup hot, with extra chopped cilantro and lime juice at the table if desired.