As I’ve mentioned before, Eric got me a couple cooking classes at Whole Foods as part of my Christmas gift. One of the classes, Chili for Chilly nights, was oh-so-conveniently scheduled for the day before the Super Bowl. I think it’s safe to say that he had an ulterior motive in mind when signing me up for classes, doncha think? Anyhoo, the class was great – we learned how to make 3 chilis that were featured in my Whole Foods’ annual chili cookoff – Clam & Bacon Chili (the winner – I will feature it here at some point in the future), Bob’s Game Day Chili (a traditional meat-based chili) and the Engine 2 Diet Chili (a vegan version featured in the same cookbook as this soup). The fourth chili was one the chefs had concocted the night before from some leftovers they had in the prep kitchen, and, in my opinion, it was the best. I’ve been calling it "Green Chicken Chili," but that makes it sound a wee bit unappetizing and as if the chicken is long past rotten. So, I came up with the rather long and clunky title of this post, when really it would be sufficient to just call this "A Party In My Mouth."
Green Chicken Chili
What You’ll Need
- 4 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken (or, precook 2-3 large breasts and shred/cut into cubes)
- 2 medium onions, roughly chopped
- 3 poblano peppers, roasted and peeled (or 1 can of Hatch green chilies)
- 1 jalapeno pepper, deseeded, deribbed, and finely chopped
- 5-6 garlic cloves, minced
- ¾ jar tomatillo/salsa verde (roughly 10 oz. total)
- 2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 small bag frozen corn
- 1 small bag OR 2 cans black-eyed peas/cannelini beans (roughly 2 cups total)
- ¼ cup cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1-3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
Before you chop your veggies, start out by roasting your poblano peppers. This is an easy process that helps bring a sweetness and subtlety of flavor to the pepper, while also reducing its spiciness. Place the peppers on a baking sheet and lightly brush their entire surface with olive oil.
Move your oven rack to its highest position, then set your oven to broil. Cook the peppers directly under the broiler until the surface starts to blacken and the skin starts to bubble and pop. Periodically rotate the peppers until all sides are evenly cooked.
I clearly do not know how to follow my own directions, as I a) used 2, not 3, peppers, and b) thought I was super-chef enough to not require a baking sheet at all. Funnily enough, when peppers start to cook, they create juices. Which drip. And sizzle. Use a baking sheet.
This is evidence of my amazing awesomeness at photography. When I looked at this on the tiny screen of my point-and-shoot, it looked like a cool, arty photograph that would convey a sense of the heat from the oven. Instead, it looks like my peppers are in the middle of a really bad acid trip.
While your peppers are roasting, prep your veggies by chopping the onions and garlic. To prepare the jalapeno, cut off the stem portion, then cut the entire pepper in half. Remove all seeds (they are what contain the heat) and remove the white ribbing. Cut it into very small (⅛ inch) pieces.
It got to the point where I was impatient with how long the roasting seemed to be taking (in all actuality it was about 10 minutes), so I decided to take my peppers out whether they were fully roasted or not (hunger is a compelling force). A good pointer is to check the stems of the peppers – if they are blackening, then the peppers are close to done. Immediately after taking the peppers out, place them in an airtight tupperware container or Ziploc bag for 10-15 minutes. The steam and heat formed inside of the container will help lift the skin of of the peppers, at least in theory.
In keeping with my theme of being a half-assed excuse for a food blogger, I forgot to take pictures of the next part. After the peppers had cooled for about the right amount of time, take them out of the container. Pull on the stems so that the entire top, including the inner part with most of the seeds, comes right out. Simple enough. Then, you’re SUPPOSED to be able to squeeze the peppers like a tube of toothpaste and have the skin peel right off. Easy? No. Fail? Yes.
My pepper’s skin slide off in one piece so much as peel like a pasty white boy after a hot summer day. I pretty much gave up after I realized I was quickly destroying my pepper and figured the little bit of char left would add to the flavor. In the end, I was right. I cut the peppers down the center, removed whatever seeds were remaining, and chopped the poblanos into small, mushy strips.
Heat a large soup pot or Dutch oven on medium heat until very hot. Add 1-2 tbsp of olive oil, then sauté the onions for 2-3 minutes until they are slightly translucent. Add the peppers and garlic, and cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until the onions are softened. Add the chicken broth, salsa, black-eyed peas, frozen corn, and chicken. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5-6 minutes, or until everything is heated through.
Minus the roasting of the peppers, this is an extremely quick recipe if you choose to use the precooked rotisserie chickens available in any supermarket. Ideally, you could make this with the leftovers from the chicken that you ate for a previous meal. As I mentioned in the ingredients list, you can make chicken specifically for this dish, but it will significantly add to the prep/cooking time.
I served this topped with a little bit of shredded Colby Jack cheese and some crusty bread. This makes enough for 6 large meals, and like many soups/stews, I think it tastes better after the flavors have time to meld overnight or longer. No matter when you eat it, this is a wonderfully fresh and vibrant take on chili. I absolutely love tomatillo salsa, and poblano peppers are especially delicious when roasted. Although this may sound like it’s very spicy, it’s only got a little bit of kick to it. Taking the seeds out of the peppers helps keep it rather mild, and most of the zip comes from the canned salsa. If you can’t find poblano peppers in your supermarket (I had to buy mine at Whole Foods), using a can of green chilies is an affordable substitution that will give you approximately the same flavor. Also, feel free to use some tofu and vegetable broth to make a delicious vegetarian/vegan version. I have another chicken chili recipe that I had been planning on posting here for some time, but it was quickly forgotten in the aftermath of how awesome this chili is. I will post the other one at some point, but in the meantime I strongly recommend expanding your culinary minds and tastebuds and giving this a try!
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