Chicken Chili Verde | Image: Laura Messersmith — **Chicken Chili Verde** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

When it’s freezing out there’s nothing more comforting than a pot of something delicious simmering away and chili is one of those easy, satisfying meals that just gets better and better the longer the ingredients hang out together. I love my classic Spicy Red Chili with bell peppers and ground beef in a tomato base, but I wanted to mix it up a little and develop a recipe that delivers that same comforting meal, but with a different set of flavors.

This recipe takes the cool greens of poblano peppers, jalapeños and tomatillos as inspiration with chicken broth as the base to make a lighter, brighter chili. In case it isn’t obvious I’ve been on a bit of a citrus kick lately and my mind is constantly whirring with ways to incorporate all the wonderful varieties that are available now. It’s amazing what a difference a bit of acid in a dish makes – the edge of lime here cuts through heavier texture of the white beans and wakes up the spice of the jalapeno.

Chicken Chili Verde with Lime (serves 4-6)

Ingredients:
2-2 1/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breast
2 cups (1 large) chopped Vidalia onion
2 1/2 tablespoons (4-5 cloves) minced garlic
2 teaspoons (1 small) minced jalapeño pepper
3 cups (12 ounces) diced tomatillos
8 ounces (2 small cans) diced green chilies
3 (15 ounce) cans Great Northern or Cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups chicken broth
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper

For garnish: lime wedges, cilantro leaves, minced jalapeño

Instructions:
Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts on a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet and lightly coat with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle generously with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Roast at 350 degrees F. for 40-45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F. on an instant read thermometer. Remove the chicken from the oven and set aside to cool and rest. Reduce the oven to 200 degrees F.

While the chicken cooks, prep the vegetables.

Notes on Prep: for milder heat remove the ribs and seeds from the jalapeño. Tomatillos grow in a papery husk and have a slightly sticky coating. Remove the husk and rinse the fruit before de-stemming, similar to a tomato.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-low heat in a large dutch oven or heavy bottomed, oven-proof pot. Saute the chopped onion for 5-7 minutes until the pieces begin to turn translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally to keep the garlic from burning.

Next, add the minced jalapeño, the canned diced chilies and their liquid, as well as the diced tomatillos. Stir in the ground cumin and kosher salt. Continue to cook for 4-5 minutes to soften the tomatillos and form a thick sauce.

Stir in the drained, rinsed white beans, the chicken stock, and the bay leaf. Raise the temperature to medium and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cover the pot and place in the oven. Cook for 1- 1/2 hours at 200 degrees F. to allow the flavors time to combine.

If the chili is too thin in consistency, puree 1-2 cups of the chili in a food processor or blender and then return the puree to the pot.

Finally, remove the skin from the chicken and pull the meat into bite sized shreds. Add the chicken to the pot and stir. Bring the chili back up to temperature and serve with cilantro leaves, minced jalapeño and lime wedges.

Small Kitchen Friendly?
Yes, totally. I used a 5.5 qt French oven, a medium cutting board, chef’s knife, baking sheet, medium fine mesh sieve, wooden spatula, a liquid measuring cup, measuring cups and spoons. A food processor or blender will be helpful if you’d like a thicker chili.

The Verdict:
I initially worried as I developed this recipe that a chicken chili would be a pale imitation not worthy of the title. As it turns out I think we might even, just possibly prefer the bright, slightly sharp flavor of the tomatillos with the consoling warmth of the chicken and broth. I highly recommend serving it with a good squeeze of lime and a few leaves of fresh cilantro. Perfect for a cold winter’s day.

Mexican Chicken Soup | Image: Laura Messersmith — **Mexican Chicken Soup** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

As inspiration for more adventurous culinary efforts I’m following along with Ina Garten, aka The Barefoot Contessa, in my tiny New York kitchen. Let’s see if I can keep up with the Contessa!

Episode: “The Cat’s Away”

The Set-up: Jeffrey is leaving for a work trip and Ina has big plans for a card party with her friends.

The Menu: Roasted Asparagus with Scrambled Eggs, Pineapple Margaritas, Mexican Chicken Soup, Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread, Chocolate Orange Fondue

0:35 – “While the cat’s away the mice do like to have fun…” Truer words.

1:04 – Pro Tip #1: asparagus will naturally snap where the woody part of the stalk ends.

2:28 – Pro Tip #2: scrambled eggs will turn out lighter and fluffier if there is less liquid, so Ina is using six eggs and only 3 tablespoons of half and half. I never knew that, and I think I’m pretty decent at cooking eggs.

3:46 – Pro Tip #3: the protein in eggs gets tough if they’re not cooked over low heat. This one I have down.

4:17 - I can’t tell if making Roasted Asparagus with Scrambled Eggs is meant to be a smoke screen for later shenanigans or a treat since Jeffrey is missing the fun?

5:03 – Jeffrey is definitely suspicious but seems mollified by a delicious breakfast into condoning the nonsense, mission accomplished! In any event he’s been packed off to some conference hotel and is safely out of the way…

5:55 – So that Ina can immediately make a giant pitcher of Pineapple Margaritas with her friend Jose. Ha.

6:41 – I know I was teasing about making such a big batch, but it’s actually really smart to make them in advance – the proportions are the same and it saves having to make them one by one. All good in my book.

10:30 – I don’t think she said this explicitly earlier, but the theme for tonight’s dinner is Mexican, so now we’re making Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread.

11:13 – I love cornbread, but Ina’s right most of the time it’s really dry. Who hasn’t needed a sip of water to help unstick a bite from your throat?

12:22 – Interesting, Ina’s recipe has an unusual step – it calls for letting the mixed batter sit for 20 minutes before baking to let the milk, eggs, butter, etc. absorb into the cornmeal and flour.

13:05 – Onward! Mexican Chicken Soup is next and step number one is roasting the chicken breasts. Bone in, skin on chicken really is kinda tricky to find in grocery stores – I feel like I’ve stumbled on a gold mine when I spot some.

14:54 – The cornbread has finished thinking about what it’s done and is now ready to go into the oven. Ina notes it’s super thick and sticky texture – “you can stand a spoon up in it!”

19:37 – Ina says usually she can only manage chips and microwave popcorn for card parties but that sometimes she goes all out for her friends. Which seemed a little sad until I realized that it’s really good popcorn though.

20:55 – Back to the soup which starts the way all good soups do – sautéing onions, carrots and celery.

21:40 – More delicious Tex-Mex type seasonings – cumin, coriander, jalapenos. Yum.

22:39 – Oh dear, here’s a step I just can’t get behind: strips of flour tortillas to thicken the soup. I can’t stand soggy bread in any form so this will not be happening in my soup.

23:12 – The roasted chicken is out of the oven and now Ina is shredding the cooked meat into the soup to absorb the flavors from the broth.

24:46 – The card sharks have arrived and everyone has a bowl of soup with delicious toppings (cheese, sour cream, crispy tortilla chips). Someone remarks that the Pineapple Margaritas are so good “you can’t taste the alcohol!” I would love to see this group after pitchers #2 and #3.

27:04 – Now Ina’s making Chocolate Orange Fondue for dessert and I can still hear the cackles from the others in the living room

28:27 – The orange comes from zest and Grand Marnier. Just keeping the party going I guess?

29:51 – Ina is giving them “elegant things, like doughnuts!” and strawberries, bananas, pretzels and pound cake to dip into the fondue. Apparently this is “just like the 60s without ‘you-know-what’….”

Final Thoughts:

No one does a theme party quite as elegantly as Ina – not a sombrero or cactus to be found.

Buffet style with everything ready in advance is definitely the way to go for a group. Well played.

I stand by my earlier statement of wishing the cameras would keep rolling – no wonder Jeffrey was concerned about them having too much fun!

Lessons Learned:

I love chili but sometimes I’m in the mood for something a little lighter. Mexican Chicken Soup seemed like a great alternative – still spicy and warming but with more vegetables and lean chicken instead.

I cut the recipe in half since I was only planning for two of us (easy to do) and made one tiny change by adding a can of drained, rinsed cannelloni beans instead of the tortilla strips. You know my feelings on mushy bread-related items and I think the white beans are a solid compliment to the other ingredients and also help thicken the broth a little. Crisis averted.

Since beans seem to absorb a lot of seasoning I increased some of the spices a little to balance them out. Two minced jalapenos - seeds and ribs removed - were enough to make this mildly spicy (Mike added more red pepper flakes to his) if you like it very spicy then I’d add one or two more.

The steps aren’t overly difficult – roasting the chicken first (worth it – don’t skip this step!) then chopping vegetables and measuring spices and components for the broth.

Small Kitchen Friendly?

Yes, indeed. I used a sheet pan, my trusty 5-quart Le Creuset french oven, a large cutting board, chef’s knife, a sieve, both dry and liquid measuring cups, and a wooden spoon. That’s all!

The Verdict:

As I suspected, Mexican Chicken Soup was a hit. Mike and I both really liked the flavors – tender chicken, warm cumin and coriander – and the leftovers disappeared quickly. Compared with chili this really is a lighter dish that feels more elegant and company appropriate. Perfect for early fall suppers and pairs super well with my Cheddar Chive Cornbread. Give this one a try soon!