Chicken and Chickpea Chili

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or chopped
• 1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth or stock
• Juice of one lime

Directions

1. In a sturdy 6-quart pot, warm 2 Tbs. of the oil over medium-high heat until it looks hot and shimmery. Blot the chicken dry, then season it with 1-1/2 tsp. salt and 3/4 tsp. pepper. Add half of the chicken and let it sit without fussing until the first side browns, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn it over, then cook and rotate the pieces here and there until they are browned, 2 to 3 minutes more. Move the chicken to a large plate. Pour another 1 Tbs. oil into the pot and brown the remaining chicken the same way; transfer it to the plate as well and pour over any liquid left in the pot.
2. Add the remaining 1-1/2 Tbs. of oil to the pot, followed by the onion and garlic. Season with 1/2 tsp. salt and cook over medium heat, giving it a stir now and then, until the vegetables have softened and picked up a little color, about 5 minutes. Add the bell pepper, habanero, chili powder, cumin, thyme, and coriander, and cook while stirring until the spices smell lively, 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Add 3/4 cup water, raise the heat to high, and cook while scraping up the browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot, until the liquid has mostly cooked away, about 2 minutes.
4. Pour in the chicken broth and let it come to a simmer.
5. Lower the heat to medium low. In a blender or food processor, purée 1-1/2 cups of the beans, using a splash of the stewing liquid if the mixture needs help moving, then stir that bean purée back into the liquid in the pot. Add the chicken and any juices from the plate, then stir in the remaining whole beans. Cover the pot and let it simmer, stirring from time to time, until the chicken is tender, about 1 hour. If the chili tightens up too much, loosen it with a little water.
6. Stir in the lime juice, then adjust with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve with the garnishes.