Low carb Slow Cooker/ Instant Pot Chili Relleno Chicken Soup (Lean & Green Optavia Meal)

This is a very tasty and simple soup!

 Ingredients:

1 (7 ounce) can mild fire roasted whole green chiles (approximately 1 cup chopped)

4 squirts of olive or avocado cooking oil spray

1/2 cup chopped green onions or leeks

3 cloves garlic

4 cups chicken bone broth

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan or sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (fresh or frozen)

8 ounces lowfat cream cheese**

3 ounces lowfat jack cheese, grated**

3 ounces lowfat cheddar cheese, grated**

8 (1 ounce) slices lowfat cheddar cheese**

8 teaspoons chopped green onions (the green part), optional

Method:

Chop the canned chilies and set aside. Spray a skillet or the inside of an Instant Pot with the cooking oil. Sauté the onion and garlic for a couple of minutes. Stir in the chopped peppers. Sauté and stir for another minute.

Stir in the broth, cumin, salt and pepper. Add the chicken. If the chicken is frozen, cook in a crockpot on low for 6 hours, or use the normal slow cooker setting on an Instant Pot for 6 hours. If the chicken is fresh, cook for 4 hours. 

Remove the chicken from the pot to a bowl or plate. Use two forks to shred the the chicken. 

Place the cream cheese and grated cheeses into a blender container. Add 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the soup broth to the blender with the cheeses. Blend until smooth and then add to the soup. Return the chicken to the pot. Stir to mix in. Continue to cook on high for an additional 30 minutes. Ladle approximately 1 cup of soup into an ovenproof bowl for each serving. Place a slice of cheese on top of each serving and place under a broiler until the cheese is melted. If desired, garnish each serving with 1 teaspoon chopped green onion. Makes 8 servings. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. (Broil portions just before serving.)

**Regular cheese may be used if you are not following a lower fat diet plan.

Nutritional info per serving, approximately:  278.6 calories ~ 9.9 grams fat ~  6.75 grams carbs ~ 6.45 grams net carbs ~ 38.46 grams protein

Equals: 93% of a lean portion, 37% (about 1/3) of a green & 3/4 of a condiment

This complete Lean & Green Meal includes:
one serving of soup, a salad of 1 cup halved mini
tomatoes, 2 tablespoons chopped yellow bell pepper &
1 teaspoon chopped green onion. (No dressing)
I also added 1 Optavia smashed potato bagel.
This entire meal equals 1 lean, 3 green, 3 condiment servings & half of a fueling.
Here is the link to the bagel recipe:
htt ps://carriekitchencreations.blogspot.com/2022/01/this-simple-bread-fueling-can-be-baked.html

Note: This delicious soup is a mild blend of flavors and is not spicy at all. (If you desire a bit of heat, individual portions can be garnished with hot sauce.)