Poblano Chicken Chowder

Happy Friday! How has your week been? I have kept busy this week planning menus and researching new recipes to try with the latest vegetable haul from our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) box. It's nice having so many different veggies on hand to choose from, and always makes dinnertime something T and I look forward to.

With the week coming to a close, and a new CSA box to pick up going into the weekend, I was looking for a recipe to use up our poblano peppers when I stumbled upon this delightful Paula Deen recipe for Poblano Chicken Chowder. Paula's original recipe makes 12-16 servings, but since my household is only 2 people, I decided to cut the recipe in half and made some modifications to make it my own.

Recipe adapted from Food Network

POBLANO CHICKEN CHOWDER | Yield: 6 Servings | Prep: 30 min. | Total Time: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS:

1/8 C olive oil
3 large carrots, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 large onion, diced
3 stalks celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice
5 cloves garlic, minced
5 poblano peppers, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp ground cumin, or more to taste
1/4 tsp dried thyme, or more to taste
1 Tbsp chicken bouillon granules
1 1/2 quarts chicken broth (6 C)
1/4 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, minced
1 1/2 C diced grilled chicken (about 2 breasts)
1/4 C unsalted butter
1/2 C all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp hot sauce, or more to taste
1/2 C half & half

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oil in large stockpot over medium heat. Add carrots, onions, celery, garlic, poblano peppers, salt, white pepper, cumin, and thyme. Saute 7-8 min., or until the vegetables begin to soften.

Stir in chicken bouillon. Add chicken broth and cilantro, and cook 10-12 min, or until carrots are tender. Meanwhile, grill and dice chicken.

Add chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until chowder is thick and chicken is heated through.

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and stir to combine. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes to cook the flour. Don't allow to brown. Ladle 1/2 C of hot liquid from the stockpot into the saucepan, whisking constantly.

When the first 1/2 C is incorporated, add another 1.5-2 C of liquid, 1 C at a time. Pour the mixture in the saucepan into the stockpot, whisking to blend. Cook, stirring frequently, 3-5 min longer, or until the mixture begins to thicken.

Just before serving, stir in hot sauce and half & half.

This recipe was absolutely delicious, and can be modified for your individual tastes. T and I both enjoy some heat in the kitchen, and I had many poblanos to use, so my version turned out quite spicy. I also increased the veggie count of the carrots and celery - I can never seem to get enough! I'm a sucker for the divine flavor boost and health benefits of garlic, so I usually error on the side of more is better. You could also try adding corn, pearl onions or red peppers to make an extra hearty version. My only regret is not making the full recipe so that I would have some in the freezer to pull out later!