Last year I had a BUMPER crop of tomatillos. They are delicious, and I absolutely love them, but I was running out of ideas. I decided to combine them with my healthy pepper crop and make a huge batch of chili verde sauce.
Actually, I ended up making several batches of chili verde sauce. We have been able to enjoy the sauce throughout the fall and winter; it’s been fabulous. We were looking for some new things to do with it, and one cold wintery day, soup came to my mind.
There’s something wonderful about a bowl of warm soup when it’s cold and rainy. It’s even better when the soup brings a little heat with it as well. I will say, this soup isn’t necessarily very spicy, but it has some great pepper tones and you could definitely add some more jalepeno to it as well. Kick the spice level up a notch.
I like to make this when I’m in a pinch for time as well. You can use frozen chicken pieces if you don’t have fresh or shredded chicken on hand, which happens a lot in our house. You can also use different beans, or add more. I have tried this with black and pinto together and it’s wonderful! I’m all about the experimenting and mixing it up.
Chicken Chili Verde Soup
2 Tbs EVOO
1 medium onion, diced
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 cloves garlic
3 c chicken broth
1-2 c water
16 oz chili verde sauce (homemade recipe)
3 pieces fresh or frozen chicken, or 2c shredded chicken
1 15oz can beans, pinto or great northern
1 c frozen corn
½ c sour cream (optional)
In a large cast iron pot, heat the oil at medium-high heat. Add the onion and allow to brown and caramelize a bit, about 3-4 minutes. Add the celery and allow that to cook 3-4 minutes to sweat. Add the garlic and let that cook for 1-2 minutes.
Add the chicken broth, the chili verde sauce, and one cup of the water. Bring that to a boil and then add the fresh or frozen chicken to the pot to cook. Put the lid on the pot and allow to simmer for about 15-20 minutes; long enough for the chicken to cook through.
*If you’re using cooked shredded chicken, skip this step and move on. Pull the chicken pieces out and set aside. Add the beans and the corn to the pot and bring it back to a boil. Meanwhile shred the chicken and add it back to the pot. Put the lid on and let everything cook for another 10-15 minutes to help build the flavors. If your soup needs more water, add it now.
Finally, add the sour cream and mix everything together. Once the sour cream is well incorporated, you are ready to serve. Enjoy with some delicious corn bread or crunchy tortilla chips.
