I’m back on the road tomorrow to continue the Don’t Think About Dinner book tour (yay!) after a quick weekend at home, and before I go I’m fueling up on cozy, comforting recipes. It wouldn’t be a Sunday in my house without some meal prep, so I’m getting ahead with a couple freezer-friendly soups and chilis. I’m making a batch of my Mom’s Game-Day Chili (page 206 of the book!) and my Jalapeño Popper Soup—both to go in my freezer cubes and greet me when I’m back home next week.
If you’re also into cozy soup vibes (easy to do if you’re covered in snow today like me), this Jalapeño Popper Soup is here for you. It’s savory, a little spicy, and inspired by the classic jalapeño popper appetizer! BUT It’s dairy-free and gluten-free and contains 33g of protein per serving—basically, a JEG version. And if spice isn’t your thing, you can adjust and I’ve got notes below to modify. Let’s make some soup today!!!
Two quick things before we get into it: First I’ve got a fun giveaway for local folks—we have two tickets to give away to our sold out book tour event at Life Alive in Somerville on 1/29 so head to the bottom of the post to enter! Second, DTAD is still 30% off on Amazon and $3 off at Barnes & Noble! Make sure to grab your copy and get a deal while you’re at it 💖
getting cozy with brooklinen
Today’s jalapeño popper soup is peak cozy weather food and honestly coziness has been the theme of this whole season for us. Since moving into our new house creating little pockets of comfort at home has felt especially important… and necessary. The new Luxe Sateen Sheet Bundle we’ve been using has become that end-of-day exhale moment, where you get in bed an immediately think “oh this is goood.” Brooklinen bundles make it so easy to refresh everything at once—we love the efficiency over here! Copley and Cashew have fully claimed their spots too, (and are obsessed with the Dreamweave blanket I always talk about!!) which feels like the highest compliment. If a new year refresh is on your list or you’re looking for a housewarming or registry gift this season, shop Brooklinen’s Bundles Event now and save up to 40% on bundles and 15% off sitewide, only through January 19th!
dairy-free jalapeño popper soup
serves 4 | prep time: 25 minutes | cook time: 40 minutes
Gluten-free, dairy-free
INGREDIENTS
1 pound chicken breast
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin
1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil
6 ounces uncured bacon slices (about 4 slices)
1 large yellow onion, small dice (about 1 ½ cups)
3 celery ribs, small dice (about 1 ½ cups)
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium russet potatoes, peeled cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1⁄2 cups light coconut milk (one 13.5-ounce can)
Thinly sliced green onion, to garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400ºF and line a large sheet pan with parchment (if needed). Place the chicken breasts on the sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil and a generous pinch of salt and black pepper on both sides. Bake until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF, about 25 minutes. Once cooked, shred with two forks, a food processor, or a stand mixer.
Meanwhile, combine the chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, cumin, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in 6-quart Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the bacon slices in a single layer and cook until browned and crisp, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the bacon from the pot and set aside on a paper-towel lined plate. Remove all but one tablespoon of the bacon fat from the pot.
To the pot, add the onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is translucent and browning, 7 to 9 minutes. Add the jalapeño, garlic, and spice mixture, and continue cooking until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Add the diced potatoes and mix well to combine. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the potatoes are lightly brown, about 5 minutes.
Add the broth and coconut milk, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. One boiling, lower the heat to medium-high, and lightly boil until the potatoes are fork tender, about 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, chop the cooked bacon into small pieces.
Reduce the heat to low and stir in the shredded chicken and chopped bacon. Reserve some bacon for garnishing, if desired. Simmer, covered, on low until serving.
To serve, divide the soup evenly between four bowls and top each with green onion, chopped bacon, and a few thin jalapeño slices (if desired).
Store it: Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheat it: Microwave until warm, about 2 minutes or transfer to a saucepan and heat over medium-low until warm, about 10 minutes. From frozen, thaw in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours then follow reheating instructions.
Recipe Notes:
For an extra creamy soup: Use an immersion blender to blend about half of the entire soup mixture before adding in the bacon. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can transfer about half of the mixture to a blender, blend on high speed with the vent open until smooth, and return to the pot.
Turn down the spice: Omit the cayenne pepper and half the amount of jalapeño.
Freezer storage: I highly recommend silicone cubes to freeze your soups. They’re pre-portioned making it so easy to pop out as many servings as you need.
If you want something creamy with a little bit of heat, try out my high protein white chicken chili! Similar vibes, but with cottage cheese for extra protein.
For a plant-based option, make the creamy wild rice and mushroom soup right from the cookbook (page 222). It’s a rich and delicious soup that has a lot of inactive cooking time so you can be efficient in the kitchen.
One of my all-time favorite creamy (but dairy-free!) soups is the spicy sausage, white bean sausage and kale soup. I love it so much, I put it in Don’t Think About Dinner (page 172)!
One of my Boston area faves—Life Alive Cafe—is giving away two tickets we saved to my sold out DTAD book tour stop on 1/29! Join us for an evening celebrating the power of eating well to fuel our energy, optimism and wellbeing with mocktails, light bites and apps featuring recipes from DTAD and Life Alive. Plus, listen and learn about how easy cooking healthy meals at home can be from Jenn and Life Alive's registered dietitian, Jasmin Dieb.
what I’m prepping
Black Bean and Cheddar Breakfast Burritos: I love a breakfast burrito for meal prep. Coming back from a week of travel, I’m excited to have these stocked for the next few mornings.
Winter Grain Bowls with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce: This recipe is originally from an ingredient prep guide so you know it’s incredibly meal prep friendly & easy to modify! From week 3 of the January meal prep plan.
what I’m loving
Dreamweave blanket: I truly love this blanket, so much so that when we moved I snagged a second! It’s cozy without making you too warm—the ideal for a couch or bed blanket. On sale now!!
V-neck sweater: Obsessed with the cozy fit of this sweater, it’s much needed this winter. Also Copley approved and on sale now for nearly 50% off!
what I’m recommending
Brick: In an attempt to stay off my phone when I can (+ when I don’t need to be), I’ve been using a brick! I have it set between 9:30pm and 8:30am to keep me honest. I’m loving it so far and feel like my sleep is improving.
Magazines: I’ve been so into looking at magazines lately—browsing stories, getting inspired by recipes, and really just love a fun magazine spread (I used to want to work at a mag when I was younger!!). AND the chili I’m making today is officially in the 1/19 issue of People magazine!!!!! Let me know if you pick up a copy tomorrow ☺️
Let me know what you’re trying this week and send your photos in our chat!
I second the Brick — how is it possible that a tiny device feels like it gave me my brain back??? I was debating a flip phone but honestly this is the best of both worlds. ALSO this recipe looks 🔥🔥🔥🔥
I'm going to make this, but im also going to roast my jalapeños with my chicken!