Tomatillo Chicken Stew

I cannot believe we’re already coming up on the middle of March (By the way, when did I start saying stuff like that? I never thought about time “going by” as a kid). It was a beautiful day today, the day after another big snow. My oldest daughter and I walked to the library downtown and luckily she had her sunglasses on because it’s absolutely blinding to walk heads up on a sunny, winter day in Minnesota. It was 30 degrees out and that would’ve felt balmy had not the wind been blowing 20 miles an hour. That was kinda fun though, because snow on top of the skyscrapers was being hurled down in billions of tiny pieces. It was like walking in a sandstorm, except it was brilliantly sparkly everywhere and our faces felt icy.

It felt so good to walk. To feel rays of warmth and wind on our cheeks. To laugh at the sparrows and pigeons pecking voraciously at the feed on the sidewalk, as if their eating speed was keeping the sun shining (an aside: just where did those creatures hide during the storm yesterday?). My favorite thing during our walk, other than hearing the sing song laughter of my 6 year old, was hearing the sound of Hope in March: Snow melting. The drip, drip, drip from the building gutters. The flowing stream, bubbling along curbside. The snow sliding off tree branches in sloppy clunks.

We arrived home still wanting something hot while we snuggled up with our books, but it felt different today. It made me feel, dare I say it, like spring could be coming. Until it does and even when it does, I’ll keep right on making soups and stews. THIS stew especially. Tomatillo Chicken Stew.

Tomatillo Chicken Stew

This stew reminds me of Texas. You know, where it’s not daring spring to come. It’s full on bluebonnets and 70 degrees there, baby. But that’s annoying to think about.

I’ll give you three reasons you need Tomatillo Chicken Stew in your life:

1. You really need to be cooking with these cute, green tomatoes more often. Flavor!
2. Bacon and potatoes.
3. Toppings. Allll the toppings.

This is simple, but extremely flavorful. Don’t be daunted by the tomatillos. Aren’t they so pretty? They pack the biggest flavor punch and are easy to peel. Perfect kid job BTW.

Where you really win big is with the toppings. I enjoy radishes. Crispy and fresh with a little zing. They add a lot to this Tomatillo Chicken stew. Do whatever makes you happy though. Avocado is lusciously creamy and will bring the comfort factor up to 10. Chips are fun (obviously). Cheese. Sour Cream. Cilantro. Lime. Happiness…..

Feel free to adjust the heat by omitting or adding more cayenne pepper. We like ours spicy (a healthy, glisten in the eyes spicy) but you do you. Let me know what you topped this with?! Also, how is your end of winter looking like right now? Are you picking flowers yet or still seeing snow? I’ll just be here, eating Tomatillo Chicken Stew until the dandelions sprout.

Tomatillo Chicken Soup

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• Author: Come Sit At The Table
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 50 mins
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 6 1x

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Ingredients

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• 2 pounds, boneless, skinless, chicken thighs, trimmed
• 2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, feel free to omit if you don’t like spice!)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried coriander
• 5 slices bacon
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 jalepeno pepper, seeds removed, chopped
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 5 tomatillos, husked, rinsed, halved
• 5 yukon golden potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 lime

To Finish

• Cojita or cheddar cheese
• Cilantro
• Sliced Radishs
• Avocado
• Lime wedges
• Tortilla chips

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Instructions

1. In a bowl, mix together the salt, cumin, oregano, paprika, garlic, cayenne, and coriander. Use 1 tablespoon of the spices to season the chicken. Set aside.
2. In a large dutch oven over medium heat, cook the bacon until done, flipping occasionally, about 7 minutes. Remove bacon onto a plate and set aside. Chop into small pieces.
3. In the same pot add onions, garlic, and jalepeno and cook until lightly browned about 8 minutes. Move onion mixture to the side of the pot and add the chicken thighs. Let brown for 2 minutes on each side. Stir in the broth, scraping up any bits on the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
4. Add in the tomatillos and the rest of the spice mix, bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for 25 minutes, keeping at a gentle simmer.
5. Remove the chicken thighs to a plate and pull or cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
6. Blend the broth with an immersion blender right in the pot or transfer to a blender and blend until completely smooth (alternatively, you can also use a potato masher or fork to break down the tomatillos. The broth won’t be creamy)
7. Add the potatoes and the chicken back into the pot and bring to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are fork tender, about 10-15 minutes
8. Stir in the bacon, juice from one lime, and taste for salt.
9. Ladle the stew into bowls and top with your choice of chopped radishes, avocado, cilantro, cheese, chips, and more lime juice!

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