Whenever I’m cleaning up my eating act, I like to reach for foods that are very satisfying. The foods I eat need to be full of flavor, creamy and rich. If I rely on basic salads for too long, I lose interest. Then, I am likely to fall right off the tracks with my food plan. Let me introduce you to a sure-fire winner: Spicy Mexican Chowder!
This chowder style soup is extra creamy from the few cups of pureed vegetables and gets extra flavor depth from the chicken thighs and stock. Of course, if you don’t have stock, feel free to sub in chicken broth…but I will tell you the extra depth of flavor from stock is worth it!
Also, if you aren’t into spicy foods, find a salsa verde at your local grocer that is more of a mild to medium heat and omit the spicy chile pepper. I find that this chowder is one my entire family enjoys and my kids LOVE it when I don’t have it super spicy!
Also, for those of you who know how I like to present my food, you know that I love garnishes! It’s like accessories for your food! And honestly, dish-appropriate garnishes can take soups from “meh” to AH-MAZING! Load up your chowder with slices of avocado, green onions, lime wedges and cilantro! Since it’s Whole 30 this month, you’ll need to omit any tortilla slices/chips on top…save that for next month if you decide to go back to eating grains or corn.
Lastly, if you’ve enjoyed this recipe, please consider sharing it with a friend who needs a little Whole 30 inspiration! No need to eat boring food while you’re trying to eat well! And, if you need another Whole 30 winning soup recipe, check out my recipes for Italian Wedding Soup and Indian Butternut Squash Soup with Ginger Cream! Until next time…Eat Well. Travel Often. Love Much.
Spicy Mexican Chowder
This satisfying soup is filled with intense Mexican flavors and gets its spice from salsa verde so make a salsa verde with your level of spice preferred OR buy one that you really enjoy at the store!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. bone-in, skinless chicken thighs
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups Salsa Verde (homemade from tomatillos OR buy a premade one---just check to make sure there's no added sugars)
- 3 cups peeled and cubed sweet potatoes
- 2 cups peeled and sliced carrots
- 1 cup sliced celery
- 2 tsp. fresh lime juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp. kosher or sea salt
- 1 small chile pepper (seeded & stemmed--optional if you'd like to add more heat than what your Salsa Verde provides)
- 2 cups chopped spinach or kale
- Garnish: Freshly chopped cilantro, lime & avocado slices
Directions
- Step 1 In a medium stockpot or dutch oven, add the chicken, broth, salsa verde, sweet potatoes, carrots, celery, lime juice, garlic and salt. Bring it up to a boil over medium heat.
- Step 2 After bringing it to a boil, reduce heat to simmer & cover until potatoes are tender and chicken is cooked through.
- Step 3 Remove the chicken from the pot and shred it, removing the bones. Alternatively, if you don’t want to mess with bones, you may use chicken breast. However, chicken thighs have a richer flavor here.
- Step 4 Scoop 2 cups of the vegetable mixture from the soup pot and place in a high speed blender with 1/4 cup broth. Puree the vegetables for 15 seconds and then place this mixture back in the soup. This helps to thicken the soup to a chowder consistency. If you do not own a high speed blender or immersion blender, remove 2 cups of vegetables and use a hand potato masher or forks until the vegetables are mashed & smooth.
- Step 5 Add the shredded chicken and spinach/kale back into the pot and simmer for 10 minutes, until the greens are wilted.
- Step 6 Serve the chowder hot, garnished with avocado, fresh cilantro & lime wedges. Enjoy!!
