Sam’s No. 3 Kickin’ Green Chili-Recipe Remake

I mentioned in my post a few weeks ago about our amazing trip to Denver that we went to a Diner, Drive-ins and Dives’ featured restaurant called Sam’s No. 3 for breakfast. (Apparently they go through 60 gallons of Green Chili/day…that is a little staggering but I am not the least bit surprised!)  I had been there once before, and since our hotel was a block away, I was bound and determined to make it there the morning of my friend’s wedding.  

Why was it so important that we cram breakfast into an already richly scheduled morning? The Kickin’ Green Chili, that’s why! I am a really big fan of learning what foods a city is known for, and seeking out that local cuisine. Denver is definitely known for their green chili…they put that sh*t on anything! When I visited Denver years ago, I was blown away by how amazing Sam’s Green Chili was with their breakfast tacos and burritos. It may or may not have been the perfect cure for a hangover (Oh, to be young and carefree.) 

Annnnyway, another favorite pastime of mine is recreating meals that I observed or enjoyed at a restaurant! I view eating out as an exploratory mission, perusing at all the menu items, taking into account what others order, all to give me inspiration for producing my own version at home. What’s fun/challenging for me is recreating something delicious, but giving it a healthier/cleaner spin!

That was easy to do with Sam’s Green Chili. We finally had some cooler temperatures last week, which made me feel justified in my quest to recreate the delicious soup. My food blogger crush, Iowa Girl Eats, shares with me a love for this soup, so I consulted her version, made some adjustments based on preference and what I had on hand, and started cookin’!

This recipe calls for pork, and if you’ve never made a chili with pork before, you are in for such a treat! After simmering in the deliciously flavorful broth, the meat gets so tender it will melt in your mouth. You could certainly create this in the crockpot and I am positive it would yield AMAZING results…but sometimes, when the opportunity presents itself for you to use your beloved Carribean Blue Le Creuset Dutch Oven, you take it! (I am not the only one that has real feelings for a cookware, am I?)

I digress. Bottom line: This remake of Sam’s No. 3 Kickin Green Chili is so flavorful, has just a touch of heat, is hearty, but healthy, and quite easy to make. It is great by itself but also benefits from the addition of toppings, like cheese, tortilla/plantain chips, avocado, etc. Just do yourself a favor and save a bowl for smothering over your Sunday morning breakfast burrito/tacos. It’s a must!

Ingredients:

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• 1 Tbsp cooking fat of choice (ie: Avocado Oil)
• 2 lbs pork (I used Center Cut Pork Loin Chops because that is what was available at the store.)
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup chopped bell pepper
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp granulated garlic
• 1 tsp pepper
• 3/4 tsp mustard powder or 1 tsp yellow mustard
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 18 oz of diced tomatoes (Here is the link for the brand I like..this is a 6-pack, but I believe you will want to stock up!)
• 2, 4 oz cans green chilies
• 1-2 jalapenos (I used 2 but removed all the ribs & seeds…adjust depending on how spicy you like your food!)
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp Butter/Ghee (for whole30)
• 2 Tbsp arrowroot powder

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a dutch oven and dice pork into bite-sized pieces. Add pork to hot pot and saute for about 10 minutes.
2. Add onion, garlic, bell pepper, and spices and cook for another 5 minutes, until pork is no longer pink. 
3. Add tomatoes, green chilies, and jalapenos and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Add Chicken broth and allow to come to a low boil. At this point, you can allow it to simmer on the stove for as long as you’d like (as I did since it wasn’t dinner time yet) or you can proceed to the next step…
5. Melt butter/ghee in a small saucepan. Once butter is melted, add arrowroot powder and mix well. Slowly drizzle the butter mixture into the boiling soup, whisking quickly. 
6. Give the soup one last stir and remove from heat…let cool slightly before serving (We sometimes need that little reminder around here…) 
7. Finish with desired toppings! (Cheese, tortilla/plantain chips, onion, sour cream, avocado, etc.) OR smother over a breakfast burrito/breakfast tacos! 

I’d like to think we did Sam’s No. 3 proud with this one! It was right on in terms of taste and texture, plus I know that it is just as healthy as it is hearty and delicious!

Enjoy!

Print

Sam’s No. 3 Kickin’ Green Chili Recipe Remake

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

40 mins

 

Cooler temps call for this amazingly flavorful, hearty, healthy soup made with pork, broth, tomatoes, green chilies (of course) and all the best seasonings! 

Course: Soup

Author: Maggie at Our Fine Day

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp cooking fat of choice ie: Avocado Oil
• 2 lbs pork
• 1 onion diced
• 3 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 cup chopped bell pepper
• 2 tsp  salt
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp granulated garlic
• 1 tsp pepper
• 3/4 tsp mustard powder or 1 tsp yellow mustard
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 18 oz of diced tomatoes
• 2, 4 oz cans green chilies
• 1-2 jalapenos
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp Butter/Ghee
• 2 Tbsp arrowroot powder

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a dutch oven and dice pork into bite sized pieces. Add pork to hot pot and saute for about 10 minutes.
2. Add onion, garlic, bell pepper, and spices and cook for another 5 minutes, until pork is no longer pink.
3. Add tomatoes, green chilies, and jalapenos and simmer for 5 minutes.

4. Add Chicken broth and allow to come to a low boil. At this point, you can allow it to simmer on the stove for as long as you'd like, or you can proceed to the next step...

5. Melt butter/ghee in a small saucepan. Once butter is melted, add arrowroot powder and stir well. Slowly drizzle the butter mixture into the boiling soup, whisking rapidly.

6. Remove from heat and give the soup one last stir...let cool slightly before serving (We sometimes need that little reminder around here...)

7. Finish with desired toppings! (Cheese, tortilla/plantain chips, onion, sour cream, avocado, etc.) OR smother over a breakfast burrito/breakfast tacos!