Green Chile Chicken Soup
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
2 hrs
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Total Time
2 hrs 20 mins
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Servings
8 servings
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Calories
535 kcal
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Course
Main Course, Soup, Lunch
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Cuisine
American
Green Chile Chicken Soup
Description
Green Chile Chicken Soup begins with gently simmering dried beans alone until tender, which keeps the broth clear and produces the best bean flavor. While the beans cook, onions are sautéed in olive oil until browned, then garlic is added. A whole chicken or pheasant is added to the pot with water, seasoned with salt, bay or avocado leaves, and Mexican oregano, and simmered until cooked through. Roasted green chiles and chopped chard are added later along with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice to finish.
The soup combines the earthiness of the beans and chicken with the smoky heat from the green chiles and the brightness from fresh herbs and lime. Its rich broth and variety of textures—from tender beans to leafy greens—make it a comforting and satisfying meal. This soup can be served on its own or with warm bread.
It keeps well in the refrigerator for up to a week and freezes well for longer storage. It can also be adapted for pressure canning if desired.
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried beans (white, pinto or whatever)
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion sliced root to tip, large, yellow
- salt
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 chicken or pheasant
- 2 teaspoon oregano or regular oregano, dried, Mexican
- 2 bay leaves or avocado leaves
- 6 green chile roasted and roughly chopped
- 1/2 pound chard roughly chopped, or other leafy green
- 1/2 cup cilantro chopped
- lime juice to taste
- black pepper to taste, freshly ground
Instructions
- Cover the beans with water by several inches and bring to a simmer. Let these cook gently by themselves. Doing this keeps the broth clear and results in the best-tasting beans, because they don't want salt at the beginning, and the broth does. Add salt to the beans once they are tender. Strain and reserve.
- Get a large soup pot hot over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When it's hot, sauté the onions until nicely browned. This can take 10 minutes or so. Add the garlic and cook another minute.
- You have two options with the chicken, pheasant or whatever: You can joint it or not, and you can roast it or not. You'll get different results if you joint and brown the meat first than if you pop a whole chicken into the pot raw. They're all good, so do what makes you happy.
- Regardless, when the onions are ready, submerge the bird with water and bring to a simmer. Add salt to taste, along with the bay or avocado leaves and the Mexican oregano. Let this simmer until the chicken or pheasant is super tender, about an hour for a supermarket chicken, 2 1/2 hours for a pheasant.
- Fish out the bird, let it cool a bit on a baking sheet. Pull the meat from the bones, making sure it's in pieces you'd want to eat with a spoon, and add it all back to the soup.
- Add the beans, green chiles and chard and let this simmer for 10 minutes. Add salt, black pepper, and lime juice to taste, then stir in the cilantro and serve.
Notes
- This soup stores well for up to one week in the refrigerator or can be frozen for later enjoyment.
- The soup can be safely pressure canned for long-term preservation.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 535 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 535kcal | 27% |
| Carbohydrates | 34g | 11% |
| Protein | 50g | 100% |
| Fat | 22g | 34% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3g | 18% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 11g | 55% |
| Cholesterol | 121mg | 40% |
| Sodium | 248mg | 10% |
| Potassium | 1186mg | 25% |
| Fiber | 9g | 36% |
| Sugar | 3g | 6% |
| Vitamin A | 2114IU | 42% |
| Vitamin C | 26mg | 29% |
| Calcium | 89mg | 9% |
| Iron | 6mg | 33% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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