If your veggies are hidden away in a fragrant broth with pieces of delectable chicken and spiced with fresh lime and cilantro, it’s hard not to want to eat them. The smokey taste of the roasted poblano peppers and garlic in this nutritious chicken vegetable soup makes it seem much richer than it really is. To accompany this nutritious chicken soup dish, tortilla chips are a good choice.
Ingredients to prepare:
- 2 medium poblano peppers
- 12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed, cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 teaspoons canola oil
- 1 1/2 cups chopped red or green bell pepper (1 large)
- 1 1/2 cups chopped onion (1 large)
- 1 ½ cups green beans, cut into 1/4-inch pieces, or frozen, thawed
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans or pinto beans, rinsed
- 4 cups chopped chard or spinach
- 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 ½ cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ½ cup fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
Instructions
First, we’ll have a look at what to do.
To roast poblanos, arrange a rack in the oven approximately 5 inches from the heat source and prepare the broiler. Prepare the broiler pan by lining it with aluminum foil. Broil entire poblanos, rotating once, for 8 to 12 minutes, or until they begin to blacken on the edges. Transfer to a paper bag and let the steam remove the skins, which should take about 10 minutes. When the poblanos have cooled enough to handle, peel them, remove the seeds and stems, and roughly chop them; put them aside to chill completely.
Step 2
In the meantime, heat the oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Cook, rotating periodically, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the chicken is lightly browned on both sides. Transfer the mixture to a dish and set it aside.
Step 3
Heat on medium-high until the onion, bell pepper, green beans, and garlic are tender-crisp. Cook, stirring constantly, for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the vegetables are starting to soften. Cook, stirring constantly, for approximately 30 seconds, or until the chili powder and cumin are aromatic. Bring the broth, beans, tomatoes, and chopped poblanos to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook, stirring periodically, until the veggies are soft, approximately 15 minutes longer than the original cooking time.
Step 4
Stir in the chicken and juices from the pan, as well as the chard (or spinach) and corn. Bring the pot back to a boil and cook for another 15 minutes to warm through and combine the flavors.
Step 5
Serve with lime wedges on the side. Garnish each piece with 1 tablespoon of cilantro and 1 tablespoon of lime juice.
Tips
To prepare ahead of time: Prepare until Step 4 and chill for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 6 months. Shortly before serving, garnish with cilantro and lime juice if desired.
Nutritional Values
Serving Size: Approximately 1 1/2 cups Per Serving: 213 calories; 16.6 grams of protein; 24.9 grams of carbohydrates; 5.9 grams of dietary fiber; 6.7 grams of sugar; 6.4 grams of fat; 1.3 grams of saturated fat; cholesterol 39 milligrams; vitamin A iu 2806.4IU; vitamin C 72.3 milligrams; calcium 79 milligrams; iron 2.8 milligrams; magnesium 72.2 milligrams; potassium 778.5 milligrams; Exchanges: 1 1/2 lean protein, 1 1/2 vegetable, 1 starch, 1/2 Fat.