Caldo Con Queso (Spicy Cheese and Chile Chowder)

I just enjoyed two bowls of this soup for breakfast.

According to a Hatch Valley Chile Festival site: “Hot chile peppers burn calories by triggering a thermodynamic burn in the body, which speeds up metabolism.”

I’m not sure about the thermodynamic burn part. Sounds kinda wonky to me. Nevertheless, the quote eased my guilt as I ladled a second generous cup of this chowder into my breakfast bowl and watched a glistening gentle rain pelt the plants in my atrium. Life is good.

Recently, my Trader Joe’s started carrying frozen bags of Hatch chiles. On a try-a-new ingredient impulse (something that happens to me often), I bought a bag and tucked it away in my over-filled freezer. There is always room for one more frozen package, right?

But what to make with the chiles?

Then this recipe popped up in one of my nocturnal crawls through the recipe blogs. It’s wonderful–all the things a good chowder should be: thick, creamy, and flavorful with Just the right proportion of potatoes. As a welcome bonus, this chowder is gently spiced with a full cup of Hatch chiles.

I made it yesterday as the rains began and Juliet was contentedly napping. I find few things more pleasurable than cooking on a rainy day.

Don’t wait to try this recipe.

Who can’t use a good thermodynamic burn this time of year?

The link to the original recipe on the blog everydaysouthwest.com can be found at the end of this post.

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The link to the original recipe can be found here:

http://www.everydaysouthwest.com/first-courses/rustic-veggie-soup-with-cheese-cubes-or-carols-caldo-con-queso/