Sarah's Favorite: Poblano Chicken Chili

I’ve got one big super bowl (for Superbowl weekend, obviously) today.

My most favorite chili recipe, and a little sneak peak of one of the recipes from The Simply Real Health Cookbook: Easy Real Food Recipes for a Healthy Life, Made Simple.

This. Save this right now. Trust me. Poblano Quinoa Chicken Chili, coming in hot.

Maybe I’m slightly partial to it because it was an cooking accident that turned out great- gotta love it when that happens. But since I’d first made it, it’s been entered in quite a few chili cook offs and always places in the top two. So. There’s that too.

This is perfect to serve in sourdough bread bowls or with a full topping bar at your Superbowl, gameday party or tailgate this weekend- avocado, red pepper flakes, grated parmesan cheese, sour cream, hot sauce, sunflower seeds, organic tortilla chips, etc

If you’re lucky, you’ll have a little bit left over for the week (although I highly doubt it).

Ingredients:

1 poblano pepper, chopped (dark green exterior, not spicy in flavor, just smoky)

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

2 zucchinis, chopped

2-3 carrots, chopped

2-3 celery stalks, chopped

2 cups shredded chicken or organic chicken sausage, sliced (I used Applegate Farms Italian sausage)

1/2 cup dry quinoa

1 can white canelleni beans or navy beans

1 can black beans

2 cups organic chicken or vegetable stock

1 cup water

1 large can fire roasted crushed tomatoes (Muir Glen brand is my favorite)

1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder

1 tsp fire roasted chili powder (or regular chili powder)

2 teaspoons sea salt

2 teaspoons pepper

Directions:

1. In a soup pot, add a bit of olive oil and turn to medium heat. Add your chicken (or turkey, pork or beef) sausage pieces, cover and cook until they brown on all sides. If you’re using pre-cooked shredded chicken, add it in with your zucchini and beans later in the game. No pun intended. Ha.

2. Start chopping your carrots, celery, zucchini, red pepper, and poblano pepper.

3. Remove the sausages from the pan. Add your chopped celery and carrots into the pot and let cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add peppers, zucchini and beans and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

4. Add stock, water, tomatoes, spices, and sausage to the pot. Stir to combine. Add the quinoa. Cover and let boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer for 15-20 min (or until the quinoa is cooked through and the soup has thickened). Add more seasonings if desired.

Photo by Jasmine Pulley for The Simply Real Health Cookbook