Chicken Chili

I apologize for ignoring this blog for a while! Once we got back from our beach vacation reality hit me square in the face and I haven't had much time to sit and write! Hopefully I'll be back to a regular schedule soon! Ok...on to the recipe for today!

I love making soup. I'm one of those people that enjoys hot soup even when it's hot outside (which is a good thing because it is HOT in Florida right now). Whenever I'm unsure about what to make for dinner, I can easily throw together a broth or cream based soup and add whatever vegetables and spices I have on hand. This recipe is one of the husband's favorites. It's easy, cheap and filling which makes it one of MY favorites too. You can easily change it to whatever you like or have in your fridge or pantry, but I kept it fairly simple this time around. Enjoy!

What you need (I forgot the ingredient picture because I'm smart like that)
- 1-2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (or leftover rotisserie chicken)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2-3 stalks celery, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 - 3 cans of white beans (I used 2 cans white kidney beans and 1 can northern beans)
- 4 cups GF chicken broth
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- handful of fresh baby spinach, chopped
- Toppings: cheese, green onion, sour cream (optional)

Directions

- If you are using uncooked chicken, go ahead and throw them in the oven. I cooked mine with salt, pepper and cumin and a drizzle of olive oil for 20 minutes.

- Chop up your onion, celery and garlic

- Heat up 1 T of oil (I used coconut) in a large stockpot and add in the onion, celery and garlic.

- Let it sweat out a bit and add in some salt and pepper

- And some red pepper flakes

Obviously I used precise measurements for these things!

- Add in your rinsed white beans and stir

- Add in 4 cups of chicken broth

A side note about chicken broth...READ THE LABELS!! I was surprised to find that a lot of brands contain wheat in them (swanson and college inn are NOT safe). I usually use the organice low sodium kind from Whole Foods or Progresso is also safe. Ok, I'm done now.

- Add in the cumin, garlic powder and chili powder

- Let it come to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally

- By now your chicken should be cooked and cooled. Go ahead and shred it up!

- Add your chicken to the broth mixture and stir. Cook another 2-5 minutes.

- Right before serving add in the chopped spinach, you don't want it to get too wilted

- Top with whatever toppings you like and enjoy!

Have a GREAT weekend everybody!