Chicken, Chorizo and Black Bean Soup

It's cold and vortexy out there.  Soup seemed like a good way to warm up my insides.  Perhaps you'll think it's a good way to warm up yours too.

Soup

3 16oz cans black beans
2 lbs chicken thighs
8 ozs chorizo
8 scallions, minced (separate green and white parts)
1 jalapeño, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 chipotle pepper, minced and seeded (w/ some adobo sauce)
32 ozs chicken stock
1 tbsp canola oil
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/3 tsp coriander
Salt and pepper

Crema (I don't really know what else to call it)
1 avocado
1 tbsp reduced fat sour cream
1/2 chipotle, seeded (w/ some adobo sauce)
Salt and pepper

1. First things first...you need tunes. You can't cook without music. I was using my Spotify riffs playlist. Guitar rock seemed fitting.

2. Second things second...you need booze. Usually I go with bourbon while I'm cooking but this meal seemed to call for beer. I had some Sierra Nevada Ruthless in the fridge.

3. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a cast iron dutch oven. When oil starts shimmering...brown chicken, figure 2 minutes per side . Go in batches if necessary, don't crowd the pan. Remove chicken and brown the chorizo for 2-4 minutes. Set aside. Remove all but 1 tbsp of the fat.

4. Add scallions, garlic and jalapeño. Cook for 2 minutes. Add cumin, paprika and coriander. Cook 30 seconds. Add chipotle and adobo. Add broth and bay leaves.

5. Drain and rinse and drain the black beans. Add to pot. Nestle chicken and sausage in the beans. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook 45 minutes.

6. Discard bay leaves. Remove chicken and set aside. Remove chorizo, cut into vhunks and returnto pot. Remove 2 cups of beans and sausage, put in blender. Puree until smooth. Return to pot and cook another 15-20 minutes. Remove skin from chicken and discard (or eat some of it like I did). Take chicken from bone, shred by hand and return to pot.

7. Make crema. Put avocado, sour cream and chipotle in food processor. Pulse until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

8. Put soup in bowl. Garnish with crema and scallion greens.