SOUTHWEST CHICKEN AND CORN CHOWDER

Ingredients
4-5 cups chicken stock
2 ( 10.5 oz.) cans cream of chicken soup
1 (16 oz.) jar salsa
3 cups cooked, cubed chicken
1-2 chilies in adobo sauce, finely chopped
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions
In a large stock pot over medium high heat, combine chicken stock, salsa and cream of chicken soup.  Bring to a boil, stirring until well combined.  Simmer for 8-10 minutes or until thickened slightly.  Add cooked chicken, chilies in adobo, frozen corn and black beans.  Simmer until heated through, 15-20 minutes.  Stir in cilantro just before serving.

Let's Dish
I was craving a spicy, Tex Mex style soup one night and came up with this soup using ingredients I had on hand.  It was fantastic!  You can make it more or less spicy depending on what type of salsa you use and how many chilies in adobo you add.  The chilies are canned and can be found in the Mexican foods section of your grocery store.  I never use the whole can in one recipe, so I freeze the extras in small zip top bags (2-3 per bag) to use later.  If you like a thicker soup, start with 4 cups of stock.  You can always add more later. This recipe can easily be adapted to use whatever ingredients you have available.  It's a snap to throw together and it hits the spot on a cold winter night.

Who Dished It Up First
This is an original recipe.