Chicken Tortilla-less soup

This soup was a pleasant surprise.  I wasn't planning for it to turn into a tortilla-less soup but that's what it tasted like to me and it was delicious.  And even better, it cooked in the crock pot all day long.  This is my modified version of the Chicken-Tomatillo Soup from the Paleo Comfort Foods cookbook, which if you don't have it yet, is a really fantastic book (especially if you're from the south, lots of southern staples in the book).  This is a great dish to come home to on a chilly fall night!  The soup has a very rich flavor with a little heat but it wasn't too hot for the kids (they even had seconds).  You can add jalapenos to the dish if you want to kick it up a notch.  I served this with chopped cilantro on top and it was a nice addition.

Ingredients:

2 - 3 lbs chicken, cooked and shredded (I did thighs with salt and pepper cooked on the BBQ and then shredded) (use any leftover chicken or pork that you have, it'll be delicious)
1-2 Tbsp coconut oil
2 medium poblano peppers, seeded and chopped
1 large zucchini, chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 - 2 red bell peppers, chopped
1 1/2 lbs tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed and coarsely chopped
2 tsp chipotle powder
2 tsp chili powder
1 Tbsp cumin
2 tsp smoked paprika
4 Cups chicken broth
1 jalapeno (*optional, if you like it spicy)
chopped cilantro for garnish

 

• Heat oil over medium heat in large Dutch oven or pot
• Add poblano peppers, zucchini, onion, bell peppers and garlic.  Saute until onions are translucent.
• Add all the spices and mix until well incorporated.
• Add tomatillos
• At this point, I transferred everything in the pot to my crock pot.
• Add the chicken and broth.
• Let cook for several hours on low (or all day) and taste to adjust seasonings to your taste.
• You can also leave it on the stove and let it simmer for an hour or two.

Enjoy!