Let’s talk soup.
‘Tis the season, right? I know it is, even if only for a day, for all of my fellow warm-blooded brethren. It was 40 degrees this morning in sunny South Florida!
Even when it warms back up to the 70s this weekend (don’t be jeal) – it will still be soup season. Why? Because we’re talking healthy soups. And no matter where you live or what the weather, healthy soups should be on the menu.
Not because of any of that resolution-schmesolution bologna, either. I don’t believe in those shenanigans. If I want to do something different, make a change – then I do it! January 1st is not the magic answer, not in my book.
So what’s with the health-factor then, you ask? Well…resolution or not, the holidays have come and gone again – and for many of us, that means we maaay have indulged in just a tad too much cream cheese, butter, sugar, more butter, and WAY.TOO.MANY drinks.
In other words, junk has been added to the trunk. And for this, healthy soups are the magic answer.
Soup is inherently comforting, so you’ll never feel like you’re depriving yourself, and the broth makes it super-filling. That’s right – soup is a slim-down superstar, and way more appealing than salad when it’s chilly out!
This recipe is made in the slow cooker, which I love, and the tomatillos add an extra tanginess to what would otherwise be a pretty standard chicken soup. You can turn up the heat as much as you like – another bonus, since spicy foods are known to rev your metabolism – and add your own favorite garnishes to match.
“Any favorite healthy soup recipes you want to share? Let me know – I’m on a kick, here!”
Tomatillo Chicken Soup
Adapted from BHG
- 8 medium tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed
- 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 1 32-ounce box low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 4-ounce can diced green chiles
- 2 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced {I like using some of the seeds for heat}
- 1 heaping tablespoon ground cumin
- 3 teaspoons chili powder
- Juice of 2 limes
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 to 3 cups water
- Garnish options: Light sour cream or fat-free Greek yogurt (it tastes *just* like sour cream!), chopped green onion, chopped red pepper, sliced jalapeno peppers, snipped fresh cilantro, and/or tortilla chips
Chop 3 tomatillos. Purée remaining tomatillos in blender or processor. In a 3-1/2- or 4-quart (or larger) slow cooker combine puréed and chopped tomatillos, chicken, broth, red pepper, onion, celery, chiles, cilantro, jalapeno, cumin, chili powder, lime juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and water (you want to make sure there’s enough liquid to fully submerge the ingredients – and I happen to love broth).
Cover; cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or high for 3 to 3-1/2 hours. Remove chicken; let stand until cool enough to handle. Shred chicken; return to soup. If desired, top with sour cream, additional chopped red sweet pepper or jalapeno peppers, snipped cilantro, and/or tortilla chips. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Yummy! Definitely considering trying this out. If you don’t mind me asking, though, in the picture it looks as if there are noodles in the soup, but none are listed in the ingredients. Are my eyes playing tricks on me? Tee hee. If not, what kind of noodles are they ?
Cai – Hi! I don’t mind you asking one bit
I think what you’re seeing is the shredded chicken – that’s how it looks after it cooks in the slow cooker. No noodles in this one.
Where do the 2-3 cups of water go?
Lindsey – Into the slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients
Thanks for catching that. I updated the instructions.
this looks so tasty! i am going to most definitely add this to the list of items to make
Lyndsy recently posted..Song Of The Week: Poison
This is so yummy! made it awhile back and loved. Seeing as our weatther turnned cold today this is going in the crock pot this week! Glad I found it!
My husband and I are on a health kick as of late and I made this the other day for him. He absolutely loved it and already wants me to make it again! I doubled the amount of jalapenos too… I have no clue how he can handle the spiciness.