This is wonderful comfort food and perfect for a Sunday afternoon. If you follow my recipes, I always start my soups with a homemade stock. It’s an easy way to guarantee great flavor and the healthiest base for soup or stew. There is always a little extra that is easily stored in your freezer that you can use to stem rice, add to risotto or sauce. It does require a little extra planning, but well worth it. I also like to soak my own beans, although you can certainly use canned as well if you haven’t soaked them ahead. It’s a nice hearty soup and the beans add a nice natural creaminess to the consistency of the soup. If your looking for a perfect complement to this soup, check out my hatch chili honey yeast rolls for a great dinner companion https://maroscooking.com/2020/09/27/hatch-chili-honey-yeast-rolls/

Serves 6

Ingredients:

for stock:

  • 1 3-4 lb whole chicken
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 stalk celery
  • 1 onion, quartered
  • 3 smashed garlic cloves
  • 2 tablespoons peppercorns
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt

for soup:

  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 poblano pepper, small dice
  • 2 carrots, 1/2 inch dice
  • 1 stalk celery, 1/2 inch dice
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup hatch chilis, diced (mild or hot)
  • 2 cups frozen corn
  • 3 cups great northern beans (substitute 2 15 oz cans)
  • 3 teaspoons cumin, adjust to taste
  • 2 teaspoons oregano
  • Kosher salt and pepper to taste
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • handful chopped cilantro for serving
  • Dollop of sour cream for serving (optional)

Directions:

for stock:

Place all ingredients for stock in a large pot. Fill with 10-12 cups of cold water or until the water reaches about 3/4 of the way full. Bring the water to a boil, reduce heat to low and cover simmered for about 1 hour. Drain stock (it will be a beautiful golden color) through a colander reserving cooking liquid and chicken and discard. Once chicken is cool enough to handle, remove chicken from bones and shred into bite size pieces, setting aside to use later. You can strain the stock one more time through a sieve to remove any other particles.

for soup:

Clean your pot and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add onion, garlic, carrots, celery and poblano pepper. Sauté on medium heat for several minutes until aromatics are fragrant and tender. Season with salt pepper and cumin. If you are using soaked beans, add them now, then add about 8 cups of your reserved stock. Bring soup to a boil, add oregano, reduce heat and simmer covered for about an hour until pre-soaked beans are tender (about 1 hour). Once ready, add corn (if you are using canned beans, add them with the corn), shredded chicken, lime, hatch chilis and cilantro. Adjust seasonings to taste, Ladle soup into bowls and serve with a dollop of sour cream as desired. Enjoy!