Southwestern Green Chili with Chicken
A fusion of Indian and Mexican cuisines, this soup is called "green" not because it looks green in color, but because of the abundance of green pepper varieties.
Ingredients
- 4 Tbs peanut oil
- 1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds), cut up
- 8 cups mineral or filtered water
- 1 large Spanish onion, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
- 2 poblano chile peppers, seeded and chopped
- 2 drained pickled jalapeños, diced
- 2 Tbs chili powder
- 2 tsp ground cumin seeds
- 2 tsp ground coriander seeds
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, diced
- 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
- 2 cups frozen lima beans, thawed
- 1 tsp minced fresh garlic
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Directions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the chicken pieces and brown on all sides. Add the water, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon, reserve the poaching liquid, and when cool enough to handle remove the meat from the bones and set aside. Strain the poaching liquid to remove solids, reserving 6 cups, and set aside.
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the pot and add the onion, celery, bell peppers, poblano chile peppers, and jalapeños. Sweat for 4 minutes, until tender.
- Add the chili powder, cumin, coriander, bay leaves, oregano, and salt and stir to coat the vegetables. Cook for 5 minutes, until the spices are fragrant.
- Return the chicken to the pot and add the reserved poaching liquid and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, partially cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the quinoa and simmer for 10 minutes, until tender.
- Stir in the lima beans and simmer for 2 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the garlic.
- To serve, remove the bay leaves, ladle the chili into bowls, and top with the chopped cilantro.
Recipe courtesy of The Daily Soup Cookbook by Leslie Kaul, Bob Spiegel, Carla Ruben, and Peter Siegel with Robin Vitetta-Miller. Copyright © 1999 Carla Ruben, Bob Spiegel and Peter Siegel. All Rights Reserved. Published by Hyperion. Available wherever books are sold.
Nutrition Note: Nutrition Facts calculated using a serving size of 1 cup.
Cooking Tip: To de-fat the stock, refrigerate for 1 hour, until a fat layer forms on the surface. Skim the layer of fat off the top and discard.
Nutrition Facts
Calories 176
Calories from Fat 63 (36%)
(11%)Total Fat 7g
(7%)Saturated Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 3g
(13%)Cholesterol 38mg
(21%)Sodium 493mg
(14%)Potassium 496mg
Total Carbohydrate 14g
(14%)Dietary Fiber 4g
Sugars 4g
Sugar Alcohols 0g
(29%)Protein 14g
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Nutrition facts are calculated by a food expert using nutritional values provided by the USDA for common products used as recipe ingredients. Actual nutritional values may differ depending on the amounts or products used and can be affected by cooking methods.
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The information presented here is for informational purposes only and was created by a team of US–registered dietitians and food experts. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires December 2025.