At the moment, my diet consists of 3 food groups. Soup, chocolate, and wine. If it doesn’t make me feel warm and fuzzy, I’m not interested. I know it wasn’t long ago that we shared a vegan chili recipe. But see, I am in the mood for chili 24-7 right now, so I figured it would be alright to share another. Any complaints? I didn’t think so.
I’ve never been big on the whole Thanksgiving dinner spread. I’m not a big turkey fan and I can live without the potatoes, corn, casserole, etc. In lieu of all of that, we’ll be making a big pot of this and serving it up with a fresh baguette.
We prepped all of the ingredients the night before we made this and combined everything the next day. All in all, it took less than 30 minutes of actual kitchen time. That counts as a major advantage to making this for Thanksgiving – less time slaving away equals more time with loved ones.
For this chili, I wanted to go a little heartier. Although we’re not going in for the traditional dinner menu, I still wanted to include some kind of poultry. Meat isn’t a common ingredient on the blog, so feel free to leave it out. It won’t have any significant effect on the flavor.
Speaking of flavor, this chili isn’t the flaming-hot, set-fire-to-your-insides kind of chili. Instead, it has this delicious combination of herb flavors: basil, oregano, and rosemary give it an Italian attitude.
It may not be the most conventional of Thanksgiving dinners, but there’s nothing wrong with new traditions. And to maintain some semblance of normalcy, pumpkin pie tarts will be on standby for dessert. Everything is as it should be.
Italian Chicken Chili
- Total Time: 55 minutes
Description
A delicious shredded chicken chili with an italian twist.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. chicken breast
- 1 cup uncooked barley
- 1 cup water
- 1 can black beans (drained)
- 1 can kidney beans (drained)
- 1 can white beans (drained)
- 1 lb. tomatoes (diced)
- 24 oz. tomato sauce
- 2 ½ cups vegetable broth
- 1 yellow onion (diced)
- 6 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 green peppers (diced)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1 tablespoon coriander
- 1 tablespoon rosemary
- 1 tablespoon basil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
Instructions
- Bring barley to a boil with 2 cups of water. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes. Set aside.
- While barley is cooking, boil the chicken. In a large pot, add the chicken and fill to ⅔ the way full with water. Boil for 10 minutes then reduce heat to a simmer for 10 more minutes.
- Remove the chicken and shred on a cutting board using 2 forks.
- In a large pot, saute the onions and garlic with the olive oil for 5-7 minutes.
- Add all ingredients to the pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer for 20-25 minutes. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 369
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 699mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Carbohydrates: 33g
- Fiber: 8g
- Protein: 41g
- Cholesterol: 96mg
I made this today for dinner for my husband and me, and for me to take as a work lunch for the week. It was amazing and the flavor was wonderful! I made it with shredded chicken, but really -- you are right it doesn't need it. Protein from the bean and barley is ample for a meal. Thanks so much -- this is definitely a keeper!
Making chilis and soups in big amounts is one of the best lunch tactics. Minimal effort and maximum reward... Leftovers for the win! So glad you both enjoyed it – thanks for the comment! :)
Those are my absolute favorite food groups! Hope you guys are well.
Can't go wrong when the best foods are combined! :) Hope you are doing great, Bruno!