Spicy Pecan Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 cups pecan pieces
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
• salt to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans for garnish

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
2. Cook and stir the onion and garlic in the butter until soft but not brown.
3. about 5 minutes.
4. Pour the chicken stock into the pot and whisk in the tomato paste, heavy cream, and lemon juice.
5. Turn the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil.
6. Turn the heat down to medium-low, add the 3 cups of pecan pieces and the chopped chipotle peppers, and simmer the soup until the pecans soften, about 30 minutes.
7. Set aside 2 cups of soup.
8. Pour the rest of the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full.
9. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the contents moving before leaving it on to puree.
10. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot.
11. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the soup right in the cooking pot.
12. Stir the reserved 2 cups of soup back into the pot and bring to a simmer and season with salt to taste.
13. Serve, hot, with a sprinkle of chopped pecans for garnish.