Souper Sunday: Red Bean Chicken Curry Soup

We've had a lot of good luck lately finding some interesting soup mixes at Big Lots of all places. Usually they are really simple to make, basically add a meat, tomatoes or water. A few weeks ago we picked up a couple of bags of bean mixes made by Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods. I don't think i realized that it was just beans. If i had I likely wouldn't have bought them. One was totally forgettable, a black bean mix I think. I might have messed up the recipe, but since I have a couple of other really good black bean soup recipes there was no need to buy another bag to see whether it was the cook or the recipe.

The other bag we bought was much more interesting - Whole Grains & Beans Soup Mix. We used the recipe off the back of the package for Red Bean Chicken Curry Soup and it was delicious! Even after cooking for most of the day, the beans and grains retained a really nice texture. Jumbo and I love Asian favors. Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Indian - we love them all! It wasn't spicy at all, just very flavorful. G and PJ like it as well!

RED BEAN CHICKEN CURRY SOUP

Contributed by: Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods

3 Tb Olive Oil
3 Chicken Breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1 medium Onion, chopped
4 cloves Garlic, minced
2 Tb Garam Masala
1 tsp Curry Powder
8 cups Chicken Stock
2 Bay Leaves
1/2 pkg Whole Grains & Beans Soup Mix (1 3/4 cup)
Directions

Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat; add half the chicken pieces and brown on all sides for about 6 minutes. Continue with the remaining chicken pieces. Add onions and sauté until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for one more minute. Add garam masala and curry powder; sauce for 30 seconds to a minute until they are aromatic but not burning. Carefully pour in stock and scrape the bottom of the pan to release any brown bits. Add bay leaves. Add soup mix and stir. Bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook for 1 1/2 hours. Sir occasionally to prevent sticking. Add more stock or water if beans absorb too much liquid.

Vegetarian option: Omit the chicken breasts and chicken stock and use vegetable broth instead. Add an assortment of vegetables to your taste such as 2 cups sweet potatoes, 1 cup roasted corn, 1 cup winter squash or 1 cup cauliflower. Watch throughout cooking process and add water as needed.

Makes 10 servings.