Creamy Green Chile Chicken Soup ♥ Week Two, Day Three - EatingWell Meal Plan

I know I am all out of sync with posting the dinners as they were published but I assure you, every one of those dishes will be eaten and posted, just not in the order intended. Please be patient and forgiving. The last few weeks have been trying if not impossible to stick to any plan.

I will say, for the ones already consumed, I am happy with the line-up and the creativity of this plan.
Last night I made the Grape Chutney with a grilled pork tenderloin and I will make that many times during the upcoming months (but that is another post).

You will probably notice the original recipe called for chicken breasts but The Nudge defrosted a package of thighs instead so, thighs it was. I also added a can of creamed corn because I forgot to restock my cans of hominy and I could have sworn this soup was screaming at me to add a corn product. Like I said, I am so unorganized.

I am sure the canned version of roasted green chiles was not what was intended when the cook created this recipe but canned whole green chiles was what I had on hand. I know they have less flavor than freshly roasted peppers do but I reinforced the flavor with New Mexico Green Chile Powder I always have on my spice shelf. If you used the chicken breasts called for, this soup could be on the table in under 30 minutes.
I suggest combining two recipes that call for roasted poblanos and do them all at the same time.

EatingWell suggests serving cheese quesadillas with this soup and I thought that was a great idea. I had a single serving of Holy Guacamole in the fridge and a bottle of salsa. We were good to go!!

Creamy Green Chile Chicken Soup
Makes 4 servings, 1 1/2 cups each

* 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed
* 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
* 4 New Mexican green chiles or poblano peppers
* 1 can creamed corn (optional)
* 1/2 cup dry white wine
* 1/2 cup barley flour or white whole wheat flour
* 2 cups reduced-fat milk
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
* 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
* 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
* 2 tablespoons minced cilantro

1. Preheat grill to medium-high (if grilling chiles) or preheat oven to 400°F (if roasting chiles) or grab a can opener if using canned.
2. Place chicken and broth in a large sauce-pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook, turning the chicken halfway through, until no longer pink in the middles, 10-15 minutes, depending on the size. Remove from the heat. Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board, leaving the broth in the pan. When cool enough to handle, shred or chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
3. Meanwhile, grill chiles, turning frequently, until blistered on all sides, about 15 minutes, (Alternatively, roast on a baking sheet, turning once or twice with tongs, until blackened in placed, 14-20 minutes). When cool enough to handle, peel and remove stems and seeds. Finely chop 2 chiles; puree the other 2 in a food processor or blender with 1/4 cup of the hot broth.
4. Whisk 1/2 cup of the broth in a bowl with wine and flour until smooth. Return the pan with the broth to medium heat and whisk in the flour mixture until well combined. Stir in the chopped and pureed chiles and the chicken. Add milk, salt, both peppers and oregano; heat, stirring frequently, until steaming and hot, but not boiling (low-fat milk will curdle), 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro.

Per serving: 299 calories; 5g fat (2g sat, 2g mono); 72mg cholesterol; 26g carbohydrate; 0g added sugars' 32g protein; 2g fiber; 687mg sodium; 737mg potassium.

Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (280% dv), Potassium (21% dv), Vitamin A (20% dv), Calcium (18% dv), Iron & Magnesium (15% dv).

My Diabetic Recommendations: The soup is good as written, but I did use barley flour to thicken instead of AP flour. If you do not have barley or quinoa flour use whole wheat flour. I did not serve quesadillas, I made a small garden salad instead.