Green Chili Soup by David Hulse - from "All Star Recipes" (1995)

RECIPE

1 4-oz can green chiles, peeled, chopped
1 16-oz can whole tomatoes, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 potato, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
2 10-oz cans chicken broth
4 cups water
1/2 bunch cilantro, trimmed

Combine green chiles, tomatoes, onion, potato, zucchini, chicken broth, water and cilantro in large saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until desired consistency.  Serve over crumbled tortilla chips and grated cheddar cheese.

Yield: 4 servings.

David Hulse may not be a household name, but the former Texas Rangers (1992-94) and Milwaukee Brewers (1995-96) outfielder provided the recipe that ended up as this month's selection.  

Hulse hit just five home runs in his five-year career.  He got to play for the Brew Crew during their experimental blue-and-green phase.  He never got to play in the postseason, and according to wikihaha, his career highlight is this:

Hulse is best known for an at-bat that he had against the California Angels. He fouled four pitches in a row into the same spot of the Angels' dugout; by the time he fouled off his third pitch, the entire Angels' dugout had concentrated themselves away from the edge of the dugout. Hulse ended the AB by grounding out, after which the Angels players went back to the end of dugout they had emptied.

Better to be remembered for something, right?

In advance of St. Patrick's Day, I was looking for something green and the title of this recipe jumped out.  After gathering up the ingredients and getting started in the kitchen, I realized that the "green" in green chile soup refers more to the ingredient than the final colour.  This Mexican-style veggie soup ended up more red than anything else.  But that's okay!

If you aren't a fan of spicy, don't be warded off by the chiles here.  This soup ended up very mild, with no heat at all.

After snapping the photo above, I loaded the soup bowl with lots more cheese and tortillas.  There's something about melted cheese in soup that's totally dalashous.  Cilantro is not everyone's favourite, but I love it.  If you aren't a fan, you could substitue other green herbs.

Lastly, I hit the soup with an immersion blender for just a couple of seconds to provide a less-chunkier finish.  If you prefer chunky, go chunky!