Give Your Chicken Noodle Soup A Kick With Chipotle Peppers In Adobo Sauce

Chicken noodle soup is pure comfort food, but its flavors can be a little on the bland side. The good news? It's super easy to spice this dish up. Sofrito can add aromatics and fresh herbs, Thai curry paste can give your soup a fun twist, and fresh jalapeños slices can add a jolt of heat. But, when you want extra flavor and spice all in the same ingredient, turn to chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.

Chipotles are essentially the same thing as jalapeños — the former is just the dried and smoked version of the latter. Adobo sauce is typically made from tomato sauce, paprika, bay leaves, onions, garlic, and oregano. When eating chipotles dunked in this liquid, you'll get flavors of smokiness, a little sweetness, and, of course, the heat that these peppers are known for. Because chipotles are just different versions of jalapeños, you can expect a similar level of spice when you use them. They range from 2,500 to 10,000 units on the Scoville scale, so they're considered medium-hot peppers. When you add the adobo-drenched chipotles to your chicken noodle soup, you'll give your dish a warming kick and a punch of savory flavor.

Whether you're making your chicken noodle soup at home or buying a can from the store, it's super easy to add chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. If you're going for the former, you can toss the peppers in alongside your broth after you've sauteed your veggies and aromatics. If you opt for the latter, just add your chipotles right when you start heating the soup on the stove. Beforehand, you'll want to chop the peppers up — and be sure to leave them saucy instead of patting them dry. You can also pour extra of that deliciously spicy liquid right into your soup or use it to marinate your chicken before cooking it. Feel free to use any combination of the chopped chipotles and adobo sauce, keeping in mind that the peppers will hold more of the heat.

If you're making your dish in a slow cooker, add the peppers or the sauce (or a little of both) right into the pot along with all of your other ingredients, including the chicken. Since chipotles in adobo sauce can be pretty hot, start off small with just a few tablespoons. If your tongue can take it, you can pour in a whole 7-ounce can. Your soup will be anything but bland.