Green Chicken Chili Recipe

Here is the recipe that some of my loyal friends wanted after reading my facebook entry. It really isn't as hard as it looks. I dropped out 2 of the jalapenos for Sue and cilantro is a no no to for her... but with a dollop of sour cream ( I happened to have some authentic medican crema) it was really good. I used my new Kirkland enameled dutch oven for this. Le Creuset version. They are pretty hard to find, but when available at your nearest Costco they are super at $49. The cannellini beans looked pretty disappointing in the can but in this recipe and as a thickener with the food processor they were hard to beat. At one point with the food processed veggies I thought that I might have some split pea soup. One sniff and it surely wasn't your father's split pea! Ha! The scallions (fresh green onions) really added to this soup, so don't skimp on these! It might reduce your stress if you prepare all of the ingredients ahead of time.. like you do a Chinese stir fry. This makes enough for 5 pretty hungry eaters.


Have fun!

Green Chicken Chili

3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (2 whole breasts, split)
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
3 poblano chiles , stemmed, seeded, and chopped medium
3 Anaheim chile peppers (medium), stemmed, seeded, and chopped medium
2 medium jalapeño chiles , one medium and one small, seeds and ribs removed and set aside (see note), flesh minced
2 medium onions , minced
2 tablespoons ground cumin
6 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons ground oregano
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cans cannellini beans , drained and rinsed
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 to 3 limes)
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
4 scallions , sliced thin
Instructions

1. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Sear the chicken, skin side down, until browned, about 4 minutes. Flip the chicken and sear on the second side until browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and discard the skin.

2. Add all of the chiles except the small jalapeño, the onions, garlic, cumin, oregano, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large Dutch oven. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer half of the chile mixture to a clean plate; set aside.


3. Stir in the broth, chicken, and beans. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is fully cooked, abut 20 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a large plate. Continue to simmer the chili, uncovered, until it has thickened, 35 to 40 minutes.

4. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces, discarding the bones. Stir the shredded chicken, reserved chile mixture, lime juice, cilantro, scallions, and small jalapeño into the chili. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If the chili is too thick, stir in additional water to thin it out. (The chili can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.)


PER 1 1/2-CUP SERVING: Cal 320; Fat 4.5 g; Sat fat .5 g; Chol 80 mg; Carb 28g; Protein 39 g; Fiber 9 g; Sodium 1240 mg