Chicken Chili

Yep, more soups/stews to share.  It's definitely that time of year.

This is one the boys in our house will eat.  Nice and hearty especially with a side of cornbread or tortilla chips.

I like for the recipe to come out a little whiter in color, but I forgot to hold off on the black beans before I pureed it some.  Not that it really matters, but it is prettier in my opinion when it's more white in color instead of "chili colored". Ha!

The recipe is pretty straight forward. Here are few things that might need some explainin'. 

• I use a grill pan to grill the chicken after it's marinated for a while, the longer the better. Shoot for about 30 minutes.
 •  Roasted Salsa Verde, green salsa is much more flavorful than green chilies.  I actually think the best one is from Wal-Mart.  It's under their World Table label.
• Penzey's Arizona Dreaming Seasoning is fantastic southwest seasoning blend.  If you can't get it or don't have it on hand you can just up the other spices as necessary.  Be careful if you try and replace it with the Ms. Dash Southwest Seasoning because it has a good kick to it.  Go easy on that one unless you like it spicy!
• You will need a big pot.  I often forget this does not fit in my 4.5 quart pot and end up moving up to a 6 quart pot.


Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups cooked or grilled chicken diced
2 cups chopped onions
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup roasted salsa verde, green salsa
juice of lime
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
4 cans white beans, drained & rinsed
2 can black beans, drained & rinsed
4-6 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus more
hot sauce (optional)
1-2 tsp of Arizona Dreaming Seasoning, Penzey's
Ms. Dash Southwest Chipolte seasoning
shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
tortilla chips
 
Directions:


1. Cook or grill chicken breasts marinated in lime juice, cilantro, Ms Dash Southwest Chipolte seasoning and salt. Chop and set aside.

2. Chop onions or use frozen chopped onions, saute in heavy pan, until soft. Add garlic, saute a few minutes. Add dry spices, stirring until distributed evenly.

3. Add Salsa Verde. Add chicken broth, white beans, corn and lime juice.  Add hot sauce if desired. I use a few dashes of cayenne.
 
4. Cook for a few minutes until corn is defrosted if using frozen. Puree some of the soup with a hand emulsifier to thicken soup.
 
5. Add chicken and black beans. Simmer gently for about 20-30 minutes. 

6. Add cilantro and more lime juice to the pot right before serving. 

7. Serve with your favorite cheese, Colby Jack, Monterrey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese, lime wedges, cilantro and tortilla chips.