Harvest Chipotle Soup

This is a good soup to make when you have some leftover meat in the fridge. I had about 1/2 of a left over pork tenderloin. You could use chicken, turkey, beef or not even bother with meat. The cashew nut topping is very tasty and adds some crunch to the soup and can also be a snack.

 Harvest Chipotle Soup
1 orange pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut in small cubes
1 14.5 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5 oz can butter beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5 oz can hominy, rinsed and drained
2 cans of 14.5 oz stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 14.5 oz can chicken broth
1/2 a cooked pork tenderloin, chopped
1/2 can of beer
1 granny smith apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1 t kosher salt

Sauté pepper and onion in a little olive oil in a large soup pot. Add peppers and garlic and sauté a little more then add all the rest of the ingredients--NOT the nuts! Bring to a boil and then cover and simmer for 25 minutes.

Topping:  Spicy Chipotle Seasoned Nuts (recipe follows) or chopped dry-roasted cashews.
Need: 1 1/2 cups cashews, fresh rosemary, Worcestershire sauce, 1 t chipotle chili pepper or chili powder, garlic powder, butter

Spicy Chipotle-Seasoned Nuts

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Preheat oven to 325

Melt 2 T butter in small saucepan, add 2 t Worcestershire sauce, 1 t snipped rosemary, 1/2 t garlic powder, 1 t water and simmer 2 minutes. Add the nuts and coat with mixture and turn out onto baking sheet. Bake 15 to 20 minutes--stirring half way and watch so they don't burn. Sprinkle some kosher salt over the nuts when you take them out of oven. Let them cool. Store in airtight container for up to two weeks.