SMOKY SALSA VERDE CHICKEN & POBLANO SOUP
A grilled salsa verde, made with charred poblanos, onions, peppers, and tomatillos adds depth and acidity to a smoked chicken. This smoky flavorful soup that some would call a sew creates a heart-warming soul-satisfying eating experience.
Thank you Primo Ceramic Grills for sponsoring this post!
Ask anyone who hangs in my kitchen or near my outdoor grill center and they will say Merry loves homemade Mexican Green Salsa Verde. What’s not to love? Smoky charred poblanos and jalapeños, juicy warm tomatillos, roasted garlic, toasty scallions, and fresh cilantro, whirled in the blender to make a well balanced base sauce. Now add smoked chicken along with it’s broth and you have a versatile smoky chicken soup ready for your final touches! The possibilities are endless!
WHAT TO MAKE WITH SMOKED SALSA VERDE AND SMOKED CHICKEN
Smoked Salsa Verde Chicken and Poblano Soup is quite versatile! As a soup, I add small yellow potatoes. When I want White Chicken Chili a can or two of pinto or white beans are added. When it comes to chilaquiles, go ahead and try this recipe and add freshly fried tortilla chips and cheese! Do you love green enchiladas? Simply omit the broth and roll flour or corn tortillas with the roasted vegetables and shredded smoked chicken!
MY SALSA VERDE HAS BEEN TRIED, TESTED and TELEVISED
What I love about smoked chicken, poblanos, and tomatillos is the balance! My recipe ratios of poblano and tomatillos have been perfected throughout the years. The acid to smokiness, along with 1 teaspoon of salt, creates that perfect bite! Talking about the salsa verde, let me brag a moment! In 2014, I was on the Racheal Ray show and made fresh salsa verde with tortillas chips. It was tasty enough to make it on television but then PRIMO happened! By smoking the salsa verde ingredients there is a delicious umami that happens!
And don’t think for a minute that Smoked Chicken and Poblano Soup is tasty only in Fall and Winter. In Spring, I smoke the chicken, poblanos, and tomatillos for chimichangas! And in Summer, I smoke the chicken and poblanos and haul them to our campsite. Once at the campsite, I turn the magical green combination into scrambled egg chilaquiles! Definitely, a “talk-of-the-campground” dish!
Smoked chicken is so handy to incorporate into a plethora of recipes
I generally smoke 2 chickens at time!
HOW TO MAKE SMOKED CHICKEN AND POBLANO SOUP
Fill the grill with a bed of lump charcoal, and ignite. After 10 minutes, add 2 chunks of BBQ smoking chunks. You have a choice but I think hickory or apple are best!
Adjust the top vent as the thermometer begins to reach 250°F. Once the temperature has reached 275°F, close the top vent to one-third open.
Add the deflector racks and plates. Add a drip pan.
Adjust the lower vent to keep the internal grill temperature at about 275°F.
Spatchcock the chicken by removing the back bone completely! Smoke the back bone for added flavor in chicken broth. Add the 1-2 chickens, skin side up, and the white onions. Smoke for 1 hour.
Increase Primo Grill to 300-325°F. Invert chicken, and add poblanos, tomatillos, scallions, and garlic.
The peppers, tomatillos and aromatics will char and complete cooking at different times! Check on the garlic and scallions 10 minutes after placing on the grill.
Remove the poblano peppers after charring on both sides. The tomatillos are ready to come off the grill when they are just beginning to burst open. Tomatillos do not have to be softened completely on the grill before removing.
I like to smoke the chicken for one hour then add the salsa verde makings. Blend the charred salsa verde as directed in the recipe. Shred the chicken, add potatoes or beans.
10. The onion skins, smoked back bones, any excess smoky chicken skin can be microwaved into a quick smoky chicken broth. My broth was amazingly delish!
HOW TO SERVE SMOKY SALSA VERDE CHICKEN & POBLANO SOUP
My soup recipe is a basic! I thought I was going to add beans but the simple little yellow potatoes were enough. The flavor of the broth, smoked chicken, and greenery were complete and satisfying. However, here are a few ideas:
Add to Broth:
Add beans: black, pinto, white beans. Chickpeas are nice too when white beans are added.
Add hominy, especially if you are adding pinto beans.
Add more roasted corn than I did! I enjoyed it with 1 ear of corn but during summer I’d add 2.
Add spicy heat! Fresh serrano peppers, more poblano peppers, or jalapeño are great additions!
Add fresh scallions and cilantro - green is good!
Dried spices that I enjoy in this soup are coriander, cumin, ancho chili powder, onion powder, granulated garlic and smoked paprika.
Add canned chipotles and the sauce to taste.
Add Toppings:
Shredded Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, or Cheddar Cheese
Sour Cream or plain yogurt
Sliced mini tri-color sweet peppers
Sliced avocado
Fried chicken skin
Chopped scallions and fresh cilantro
WHY I LOVE MY PRIMO CERAMIC GRILL:
Check out the grilling space on my Primo Oval XL 400! Big enough for my style of grilling!
Made in America!
In the two years that I have owned my Primo it has worked flawlessly! QUALITY!!! And HeY, I am rough and use my equipment all the time!
My Primo Ceramic Grill was really easy to learn how to smoke, grill, and bake on!
All of my smoked and grilled dishes, and I do mean all turn out moist, flavorful, and super delish!
For more recipes to make on your Primo Ceramic Grill, head to:
SMOKY SALSA VERDE CHICKEN & POBLANO SOUP
For 8 Persons
The Ingredients
1-2 (whole chickens)
2 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
2 yellow onions
1 ear of corn, shucked
2 large poblano peppers
12 medium to large tomatillos
4 scallions
2 mild yellow chili pepper
1 jalapeños, extra if you like spiciness
1 head of garlic
1 bunch cilantro
2 cups baby yellow potatoes, steamed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Fresh limes
Preparation Instructions
Spatchcock the Chicken: Remove any giblets from the cavity of the chicken. Place chicken on a large cutting board and pat dry with a paper towel. Invert chicken, breast-side down; use kitchen shears to cut along one side of the chicken spine then cut the other side of the spine. Cut and remove the v-shaped sternum, at the tail end of the breastbone. Reserve to smoke the backbone and any giblets for soup broth. Invert the chicken to breast-side up and press the breast bone to completely flatten.
Season Chicken: Season chicken salt and pepper under the skin then on all sides of outer skin. Leave chicken on the cutting board, cover, and set on the counter until ready to grill.
Prepare the Salsa Verde Ingredients: Leaving the skins on, cut the yellow onions in halves. Be sure to keep both halves intact with the root end. Rub the corn with cooking oil. Leave all remaining produce whole. Place the baby yellow potatoes in a microwave safe container, and cover, cook on high for 4-5 minutes, or until potatoes are softened.
Preparation Grill Instructions
Fill the Primo grill with a bed of lump charcoal, and ignite. After 10 minutes, add 2 chunks of BBQ smoking chunks. You have a choice but I think hickory or apple are best!
Adjust the top vent as the thermometer begins to reach 250°F. Once the temperature has reached 275°F, close the top vent to one-third open.
Add the deflector racks and plates. Add a drip pan. Adjust the lower vent to keep the internal grill temperature at about 275°F.
Cooking Instructions
Place the chicken or chickens, skin side up, on the grill grates, along with the chicken backbone, neck, and onions. Close the dome, and smoke for 1 hour.
After one hour, check on the doneness of onions and remove if soft. ADD the PRODUCE. The scallions will be charred in about 10 minutes so be sure to check. Remove produce as it browns and softens. Once the charred corn cools, cut the kernels off the cob.
Remove chicken and charred produce from the grill. Increase the temperature of the grill to 325°F to 350°F. Place chicken, skin side down to crisp skin and to elevate the internal temperature of the chicken to 160°F. (The chicken will reach 165°F while resting and of course in the soup broth.)
Scrape the seeds from the inside of the jalapeño, yellow peppers, and poblanos, and discard. Place the jalapeño, yellow peppers, and 1 poblano in a food processor. (Chop and reserve the remaining poblano for the soup broth.)
Add softened tomatillos, 1 yellow onion, charred scallions, garlic, and 1 cup of cilantro to the peppers in the food processor to make a smoky salsa verde. Process until chunky smooth (similar to salsa texture).
Place onion skins in an 8-cup microwave safe (or saucepan) bowl. Add 6 cups of water, roasted chicken backbones, scrap skin and giblets, cumin, coriander, and black pepper. Microwave on high for 6-8 minutes. Drain broth through a mesh colander into a Dutch Oven. If needed, add boxed chicken broth to extend.
Shred chicken and add to broth, along with the homemade salsa verde, chopped poblano, 1 chopped smoked onion, 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, charred corn kernels, and the steamed potatoes. Add salt and add lime juice to taste. Place back on the grill, close the dome, and continue to smoke for 10-30 minutes or until ready to serve.
To serve, ladle into bowls, and add desired toppings: queso fresco, cilantro, fresh scallions, sour cream, Monterey Jack cheese, or tortilla chips.
Note: Change things up! Smoked chicken, salsa verde, corn, scallions, and cilantro taste great as a filling or topping! If you are not in the mood for soup, be creative with this recipe. Think green chicken enchiladas!
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