Verde Chicken Taco & Farmhouse Ale “No-Peek” Soup
It’s that time of year when nothing seems to taste better than a warm bowl of hearty soup. If you have been following along as I share some family favorites, you know “no-peeks” are pretty much my favorite way to get a yummy meal on the table.
Check out all of my no-peek recipes HERE :: FFAY NO-PEEKs
On the day I made this meal, I had about 15 minutes to get a meal in the oven & as usual a no-peek was the solution to my time troubles.
I simply chopped boneless, skinless chicken breast into 2″ chunks, added some veggies, half a large jar of salsa verde and a few dashes of seasoning. In a minute or two I was well on my way to checking my “dinner to-do’s” off my list.
Next, I added some water & a cup of dried cranberry pinto beans in order to “UP” the hearty factor.
I have been cooking with wine for a while and wine does an awesome job of boosting flavors in the cooking process, but I am always looking for something new! SIDE NOTE – Is this a good time to admit I didn’t know you can’t take your kids into a liquor store?? Those employees weren’t just hustling toward me with greetings as I walked in the front door — hand-in-hand with my 6 year old. I guess that is proof I just view a liquor store as a “specialty grocery store” haha.
After getting Gracie taken care of, I quizzed the store clerk about beer options that are great to cook with. I wish you could have seen her face when I told her the beer would not be for drinking. To put it nicely … she was confused, but that could have been leftover from the earlier “bringing a minor into a liquor store” event.
As I listed out my culinary intentions, she perked up. We picked out a few local micro-brewery beers, both lights and darks, and I was on my way. This Farmhouse Ale, by Mustang Brewing Co., did a great job of adding a depth of flavor that would make one think I had worked really hard in the kitchen for a long time, using a slew of fancy cooking techniques. I certainly did none of those things! I popped the top and poured.
I have to admit, as I smelled the beer pouring into my dinner plans – I slightly freaked and was pretty sure dinner would be ruined. Then I quickly told myself, “it can’t be that bad, I am sure it’s still edible {{eek}}!” AND what if it is awesome??! I just had to know if my “cooking with beer” plans would work. So, into the oven it all went — to cook for 6 hours @ 250°.
And, like magic – this happened:
Based on the looks of this bowl of soup – do you think my idea was a hit or a fail?? Every last bit was eaten – by the ENTIRE herd. The beer did a great job of taking the edge off of the salsa verde & adding a very subtle sweetness to the chicken, veggies & broth. It was perfect. I am definitely putting this on repeat! If that liquor shop clerk could taste a bowl of this spicy chicken & veggie soup, I don’t think she would be confused about my “cooking with beer” intentions anymore — well, as long as I don’t bring minors into her shop. haha –
- 2-3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, chopped into 2" chunks
- 1½ dozen baby gold potatoes
- 4-5 medium carrots, cut into 1" chunks
- 2-3 celery stalks, cut in to 1" chunks
- ½ medium onion, roughly chopped
- 1 c dried pinto beans
- ½ lb fresh green beans, trimmed
- 1 bottle of pale ale
- 1½ c salsa verde
- 1½ t cumin
- ½ t ground black pepper
- 1 t kosher salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 t McCormicks Montreal Steak seasoning blend
- 1 T chicken bouillon base
- water
- finely diced red onion & chopped cilantro for garnish
- Place oven rack in the lowest position and preheat oven to 250°. Place all ingredients in a 9 qt. pot and fill with water to 2" below the top. Stir to combine and place in the oven for 6 hours. Once cooking is complete and beans are tender, season to taste and serve. Garnish with onion & cilantro.
- Serves 10-12