Fit Recipe: Creamy Pumpkin Chicken Chili

From the Kitchen of Robyn Maher

 Halloween and Thanksgiving are right around the corner, and I’m having a great time creating new pumpkin recipes. This chili variation is amazing—different and so tasty! Serve it with a salad and some cornbread, like the Pumpkin Corn Bread shown in the accompanying photo (Look for that recipe in my next post).

Creamy Pumpkin Chicken Chili

1 yellow onion

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 pound cooked chicken breast

1 15-ounce can chicken broth

2 15-ounce cans white chili beans or northern beans, rinsed and drained

1 4-ounce can diced green chilies

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 bunch fresh cilantro, trimmed and coarsely chopped (for garnish)

1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt (optional, for garnish)

robyn-chili

To caramelize the onion, trim the tip and root from the onion, cut the onion in half, and remove the skin. Slice the onion from root to stem into thin slices. Coat a skillet with the olive oil, and heat the oil on a medium burner. Add the onion slices to the pan, and stir gently to coat with the oil. Maintain a medium-low heat and check the onions every 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, and scraping any “fond” that forms on the bottom of the skillet. Coat the onions with the fond. Cooking times vary, but caramelizing an onion properly takes about 40 minutes.

While the onions are caramelizing, shred the cooked chicken roughly, using forks or a hand mixer. In a blender, combine the chicken broth, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, pumpkin puree, and 1/2 can of white beans. Process until smooth.

Coat a stockpot with nonstick spray. Add the shredded chicken and the mixture from the blender, and stir to incorporate. Add the rest of the beans and the diced chilies. Simmer about 20 minutes to allow the flavors to steep.

Pour the chili into bowls. Top with caramelized onions and a dollop of Greek yogurt, and garnish with fresh cilantro. Recipe Serves 6.

Check out more of my favorite fit recipes in the Robyn Maher Section here at DigitalMuscle.com!