Easy Peasy White Chicken Chili

[Goose Valley Giveaway winner revealed at end of post! Sorry it took so long guys. I was super busy this weekend!]

Some evenings the day has just been so long that making dinner is the absolute last thing on Earth that I want to do. This chili is absolutely perfect for those nights :D.

I love this recipe because, honestly, it is barely a recipe. It is just about the easiest thing I could imagine- open a few can, buy a pre-cooked chicken, plop it all in a pot, and cook. That's why it's so great for nights when you just don't want to spend the time flipping, stirring, and sweating over the stove. 

On top of this recipe being incredibly simple, it's remarkably delicious. It's rich, yet still light because it is brothy as opposed to a thicker red chili, and the corn adds a nice sweetness that is complimented by the slight kick of spiciness you get from the green chilies. I topped mine with some pepperjack cheese, but the toppings are really endless- avocado, tortilla strips, sour cream, greek yogurt, cilantro- anything you can think up that would be delicious!

There is nothing more satisfying than curling up with a big bowl of some of this chili, piping hot, on a cold rainy day :).

I should probably also mention that this chili makes awesome leftovers!

Easy Peasy White Chicken Chili

recipe slightly adapted from here

ingredients:

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
• 2 can Great Northern Beans (or other white beans such as Cannelini), drained and rinsed
• 1 can of corn, drained
• 1 4-ounce can roasted green chilies
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 32-ounce box chicken broth
• salt & pepper
• juice of one lime

1. In a large dutch oven or pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add in the onion and saute until it becomes translucent. Add in the garlic and stir for another 30 seconds or so. Add in the chicken, corn, chilies, beans, cumin, and oregano and cook for a couple of minutes.
2. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes. Add in the lime juice and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Serve with the toppings of your choice!

And the Goose Valley Giveaway winner is:

Garden of Eaten! I'll contact you to get your address for shipping the rice!

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Curried Pumpkin Lentil Soup

I can see already that this is going to be a busy quarter for me in terms of school and I probably won't get as many posts up as I would like to, but I sure will try!
It's been pretty dreary and cold here in Seattle with all this rain lately, and all I could seem to think about was a big, warm bowl of soup to brighten my spirits. Well, tonight for dinner I finally got around to making that soup!
My adoration for pumpkin grows ever-stronger after tasting this hearty bowl of goodness. I absolutely love the sweetness of the pomegranate molasses with the curried pumpkin, and the lentils ensure that you are getting a filling meal :). The addition of the apple really brings the soup together in a sweet and spicy medley of Indian flavors.

Curried Pumpkin Lentil Soup

recipe slightly adapted from here

ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil or butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup red lentils
• 1 cup pureed pumpkin
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 medium apple, diced
• 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses (I made my own using Kevin's recipe here)

1. Heat the butter or oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add in the onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook until translucent and slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and continue to cook until fragrant, just about another minute.
2. Add in the broth, lentils, and apple and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to medium heat and continue to cook for about 7-10 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked through.
3. Stir in the pumpkin puree and spices and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Ladle into bowls and drizzle with pomegranate molasses before serving.

Thow-It-Together Pumpkin Soup

I have been unnaturally obsessed with pumpkin this fall and was really craving a meal featuring the fine squash. I looked in the pantry and saw 2 cans of pumpkin puree. I walked to the fridge, another half can, "Pumpkin soup!" I said aloud. For the first time in like EVER, I didn't feel like looking up a recipe and just decided to completely wing it. 

The soup turned out surprisingly yummy, especially when served with a nice buttered hunk of crusty bread! It seems to me, however, that it would make a much better appetizer rather than a meal. A nice small bowl would be perfect before lunch or dinner. A huge bowl of it kind of gets hard to eat towards the end- not because it doesn't taste great- my taste buds just tend to get sick of the pumpkin-y flavor after so many bites.

Throw-It-Together Pumpkin Soup

All amounts are approximations as I literally just tossed whatever I had into the pot.

ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cans (15 ounce) of pure pumpkin puree
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 large carrot, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1/2 tsp fresh oregano leaves
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tbsp half-and-half (all I had, haha)
• 1/4 cup 2% milk
• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
• walnut oil, to garnish
• toasted walnuts, chopped to garnish

1. In a dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add in the onions, carrot, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and oregano, Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are translucent and the carrots begin to soften.
2. Add the chicken broth and vegetable stock to the pot and raise the heat to high. Bring to a boil and continue to cook for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Using a large ladle, add the soup to a blender (or simply use an immersion blender if you have one!) and puree. Return the soup back to the pot.
3. Add the pumpkin to the soup and stir to combine. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a simmer. When thoroughly heated through, stir in the sherry vinegar, milk, and half-and-half.
4. Ladle into bowls and drizzle with walnut oil; sprinkle with toasted walnut pieces and serve!