Zesty Pecan Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• ½ cup minced onion
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 cups pecan pieces
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
• salt to taste
• ¼ cup chopped pecans for garnish

Step 1

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic, cooking them gently until they’re soft and fragrant but not browned—this usually takes about 5 minutes.

Step 2

Pour in the chicken stock and stir in the tomato paste, heavy cream, and lemon juice. Turn the heat up to high and bring everything to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low, toss in the pecan pieces and chopped chipotle peppers, and let the soup simmer for about 30 minutes until the pecans have softened.

Step 3

Carefully set aside about 2 cups of the soup. Pour the rest into a blender—only fill it halfway—and hold the lid down with a folded kitchen towel. Start blending with a few quick pulses to get it going, then puree until smooth. You can also skip the blender and use an immersion blender right in the pot if you prefer.

Step 4

Stir the reserved soup back into the smooth mixture, warm it through over low heat, and taste for seasoning. Add salt as needed. Serve the soup hot, garnished with a sprinkle of chopped pecans for a little extra crunch.