Creamy Holiday Chicken Relleno Soup

Ingredients

For the Chicken & Holiday Add-Ins

500g (approx. 1 lb)   boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cubed or shredded after cooking

1 cup   sweet ham or Chinese-style ham, diced

½ cup   frozen green peas

2 tbsp   unsalted butter or cooking oil

For the Blender Vegetable Base

3–4   ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 medium   yellow onion, quartered

4 cloves   garlic

1 small   red bell pepper, cored and chopped

½ cup   chicken broth or water

For Simmering and Seasoning

2 cups   chicken broth

½ cup   heavy cream or evaporated milk

1 tsp   fish sauce (patis), or salt to taste

½ tsp   freshly ground black pepper

Garnish

Toasted garlic bits or sliced spring onions

Nutritional Information

Estimated per serving (based on 6 portions)

Approximately 360 calories, 18g fat, 12g carbs, 2g fiber, 6g sugar, 34g protein.

Nutritional values are estimates. Changes to ingredients, portion sizes, or toppings will alter the final nutritional content.

Give a traditional holiday centerpiece a comforting twist! This rich, velvety soup blends vegetables and aromatics into a smooth, savory base, combined with traditional holiday flavors like ham, sweet peas, and tender chicken.

Directions

1. Brown the meat and holiday add-ins: In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter or heat the oil over medium heat. Add the cubed chicken thighs and diced ham, cooking for 5–7 minutes until lightly browned and cooked through. Remove half of the meat mixture and set aside for topping later.

2. Blend the aromatics and vegetables: Combine the chopped tomatoes, quartered onion, garlic cloves, chopped red bell pepper, and ½ cup of chicken broth or water in a vented blender pitcher. Use room-temperature ingredients and blend for about 1 minute until completely smooth and velvety. Never blend hot, warm, or carbonated ingredients in a sealed single-serve cup.

3. Simmer the purée: Pour the smooth vegetable purée directly into the pot with the remaining chicken and ham. Add the remaining 2 cups of chicken broth, bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes so the flavors meld.

4. Stir in the holiday cream and peas: Pour in the heavy cream or evaporated milk along with the green peas. Simmer gently uncovered for another 3–5 minutes until the soup thickens to a rich, velvety consistency. Season with fish sauce or salt and black pepper to taste.

5. Serve: Ladle into bowls, top with the reserved chicken and ham mixture, and garnish with toasted garlic bits or fresh spring onions.

NEVER use a sealed single-serve nutribullet Cup to blend hot, warm, or carbonated ingredients.
DO NOT blend for more than one minute when using the nutribullet Cup.

For this recipe, use a vented pitcher and blend the vegetable base at room temperature before simmering. Let any heated components cool to room temperature before blending.