In “Runaway Soup,” Grover wakes up one chilly morning and decides that a big bowl of soup would hit the spot. He throws things into the pot until the soup sort of comes to life and overruns the town. Poppy loves the story. When I brought dinner to the table this evening, Poppy declared it Runaway Soup. I would have called it Chicken Tortilla Soup. But to each his own, I suppose.

Runaway Chicken Tortilla Soup
1/2 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
vegetable oil
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 cups chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can black beans
1 cup or so frozen corn, thawed
1 1/2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1/2 cup or so half-and-half

Heat oil in soup pot. Saute onion, garlic and red pepper until onion is translucent. Stir black beans and corn. Stir in taco seasoning and chili powder. Add chicken broth and tomatoes. Simmer 10 minutes. Add chicken. Simmer until chicken is heated through. Stir in half-and-half. Serve with tortilla chips (we like Garden of Eatin’s Chili and Lime chips), shredded cheese and sour cream.

The chicken I used was from last night’s barbecue chicken sandwiches. The barbecue on the chicken was light enough that it didn’t effect the flavor of the soup. This was an improvised recipe, and I’m so happy to report that it was delicious. We’ll definitely have it again.