Ending Souptember on a delicious note
By Kara Kimbrough
Food Columnist
It’s been entertaining, to say the least, to watch grownups bicker on the internet this week over
whether or not gumbo and chili should be considered soup.
I’ll be honest, I have better things to do with my time than argue about such trivial things. I’m too
busy looking over my list of soups, stews, chilis and gumbos and deciding which one to make
first.
First up…I made a pot of chili topped by a layer of cornbread. This is something I’ve never done
and I must say, it looked nice fresh from the oven.
However, once I dipped into the bowl, the cornbread sunk into the chili. I think I’ll go back to my
regular routine of cooking chili and THEN baking a skillet of cornbread – separately.
Second, I found a “no chopping needed” taco soup recipe that turned out perfectly. And while
it’s definitely not a soup or stew, a friend sent me a recipe for baked sweet onion dip that is
simply too delicious not to share.
Soup, stew, gumbo or chili – however you want to categorize them is fine with me. Just don’t let
Souptember pass you by without trying at least one of these delicious dishes.
No Chopping Needed Crockpot Chicken Taco Soup
1 cup mild salsa
1 small onion, diced fine
15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained OR
15 ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
15 ounce can corn, drained
14.5 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning, or store-bought
2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1-pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
8-ounce block cream cheese
Optional toppings: cilantro, plain Greek yogurt or sour cream, grated cheese, avocado, green
onion, tortilla chips
Place salsa, black beans or pinto beans, corn, diced tomatoes, taco seasoning and chicken
broth in slow cooker. Stir to combine. Place chicken into the slow cooker and completely cover it
with the liquid and other ingredients.
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Remove chicken and shred or cut into bite-size pieces. Stir
chicken back into the soup, then add divided bar of dream cheese, stirring to combine. Cover
and cook several more minutes until cream cheese is thoroughly melted. Stir well and serve
with additional toppings, if desired.
Serve with toppings as desired.
Sweet Onion Baked Dip
2 sweet onions, diced
2 cups mayonnaise
16 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
¼ cup mozzarella cheese for topping
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and lightly grease an 8″ x 8″ baking dish. In a medium bowl, mix
the first five ingredients together until fully incorporated. Transfer the mixture to the baking dish,
spread with a spatula and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the
cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.
Remove from the oven. Serve warm with crackers or chips.