Aunt Rocky’s Three Pepper Cheese Soup

Melt bacon grease in 3-quart soup pot. Add onion, jalapeño peppers, and bell pepper. Cook over medium heat until onion becomes translucent and peppers are beginning to soften. Add garlic, Mexican seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Cook 1 more minute.

Add stock and diced green chiles (with juice). Bring to boil, reduce to simmer. Simmer about 10 minutes, or until peppers are very soft and flavors melded.

If cream cheese is not room temperature, cut into cubes and soften in the microwave for about 20 seconds. Add softened cream cheese and shredded cheese to the soup pot. Whisk until cheeses are melted and soup is smooth.

Stir in the chicken. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle soup into serving bowls.

Warm the bacon crumbles in the microwave for 15–20 seconds to crisp them. Chop some cilantro for garnish. Top each bowl of soup with some of the bacon crumbles and cilantro. Serve with a wedge of lime on the side.

Leftover soup may be frozen.

Yields 5 servings of approximately 1 1/4 cups each.

Note:
•If you are not going for a nice presentation, you can add the bacon crumbles, cilantro and lime juice right into the soup pot before serving.
• For a higher fat content for the meal, add 1/4 chopped avocado to each serving of soup, or serve with a slice of Aunt Rocky’s Cheese Loaf on the side (see separate recipe at Tasty Kitchen).
• I don’t get any commission or kickback for products I use or mention in my recipes. Brand names are included only to more accurately assess nutritional estimates, which are based on exact ingredients I used. Nutrition estimates are calculated per serving with My Fitness Pal’s online recipe analyzer using the exact brands I use. The recipe is stored there and available to MFP users for logging in their food diaries.
• For more low lchf/keto recipes and cooking tips, look for Aunt Rocky’s Low Carb Recipes & Tips Group on Facebook, or follow me on Pinterest at auntrocky2.

Nutrition information includes bacon, cilantro and lime juice.
Calories 390, Total Fat 27 g, Saturated Fat 15 g, Sodium 882 mg, Potassium 503 mg, Total Carbohydrate 7 g, Dietary Fiber 1 g, Net Carbs 6 g, Sugars 3 g, Protein 29 g. Macros: 64% fat, 30% protein, 6% carbs.

© August 10, 2017 Roxana Lopez for Aunt Rocky’s