It’s been over a month. I’d like to say I’m surprised but it was finals, and then it was the holidays, and then of course I needed to go play with all of my new toys. Although, let’s be real, I’m too old for toys. This year I got a bunch of fancy candles like the old lady I am. I picked them out with my mom at the Bloomingdales Home store and she proved her sainthood yet again by humoring me as I proceeded to smell every candle in the store about eighteen times. I also got a 1936 Gone With The Wind that I’m sort of afraid to touch because MONEY.

I feel the need to tell you about what I’ve been cooking in my time away from the interwebs. The answer is soup. So much soup. Living alone, I really love making soup because I can make a big pot on Sunday and literally have meals for two weeks. Of course, I don’t ACTUALLY eat it for two weeks straight, but I like having the option. I like knowing that I if I don’t want to cook there’s soup waiting for me in the refrigerator or freezer and odds are I’ll like it. Of course, when I don’t want to cook I usually end up in the Meatheads drive thru, but it feels like a more conscious (i.e. not giving up on life and pants sizes) decision with leftovers in my freezer.
Today, I bring you one of the soups that I have already made twice. It is from How Sweet Eat’s cookbook, which means it has to be good. Seriously, when has she put out a recipe that isn’t delicious?

I love BBQ. I always have a bottle in my refrigerator – usually Sweet Baby Ray’s – and will dip just about anything in it. It’s probably all that brown sugar and salt, but everything tastes better drenched in barbecue sauce. What I love about this recipe is that once you have your chicken cooked and shredded (you do this beforehand) the soup takes about forty minutes from stove to bowl. I don’t know about you, but I have too much to do to slave away in front of the stove. I have people to see. Leftover Christmas cookies to shovel into my mouth. A FULL DVR to get through. So much to do, guys. Thank goodness for quick recipes like this!
BBQ Chicken Chili

Please excuse this dark photo. It has a lot going against it. I took it at night, on my lap, with my phone, AND decided to play around with filters. It’s a wonder it turned out at all!
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup red onion, diced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp plus 2 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
pinch red pepper flakes
12 oz shredded chicken
12 oz jar roasted red peppers in water, drained and chopped
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups low sodium chicken stock
28 oz diced tomatoes, with juices
1/2 cup barbecue sauce (I’d recommend a thinner sauce)
cheddar cheese, for topping
Directions
Begin by cooking your chicken. I like to poach mine. Bring water to a boil in a large sauce pan. Add the chicken, making sure it is submerged entirely, and simmer until cooked through, about 15-20 minutes depending on the size of your chicken breast. Let cool slightly and shred.
In a large stock pot add the olive oil, onion, jalapeño pepper, and garlic. Cook until soft, around 5 minutes. Next, add in your spices. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes more. The onion mixture should get nice and fragrant.
Add the chicken, red peppers, beans, chicken stock, tomatoes, and barbecue sauce. Stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover the pot and let cook for twenty minutes. Remove the lid, adjust seasonings if needed. Cook another 10 minutes. This is a soupier chili than most. If you want it thicker let it cook a little longer, some of the liquid should evaporate.
Source: How Sweet Eats cookbook
Like this:
Like Loading...