This almost-stew soup uses end-of-summer bounty to make a delicious, satisfying dinner with leftovers for lunch.
1 medium onion, diced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons Chipotle Chocolate Rub
1/3 cup rice
1/4 c red beans
2 cups diced or crushed tomatoes
1/2-1 cup diced peppers (I used a mix of chilies; some hot, some not)
2 cups corn
8 ounces bacon
4 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons lime juice
Sour cream
1 cup spinach (optional)
If you didn't remember to soak the beans the night before (I usually forget), put them into a small pot of boiling water with a 1/2 teaspoon baking soda. After you cook them til they are chewable, but not fully cooked, add the rice to the pot. When the beans are nearly cooked, drain and rinse them and the rice.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large soup pot. Remove to a paper towel to drain when it's crispy. Pour all but a tablespoon of the fat into a bowl for use at another time. Saute the onions in the bacon fat on medium low heat until soft, then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the peppers and cook another two minutes.
Add the Chipotle Chocolate Rub and cook, stirring, another 30 seconds. Then add the rest of the ingredients (except the spinach, which should be added towards the end of the cook time and the lime juice, which should be added just before serving) and cook, simmering, until the beans and rice and are tender. Taste and correct the salt. Stir in one teaspoon of lime juice, taste, and add more if desired. Serve with sour cream.
