>PG-tested

Salsa verde, a wonderful Mexican green salsa made with roasted tomatillos, gives this healthful chicken chili a nice tang. I prefer a dollop of sour cream to shredded cheese on top; you can also stir in a handful of crushed corn chips. Serve with a wedge of corn bread.

• 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
• 6 6-ounce boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 cup mild or hot tomatillo salsa (green salsa on the Mexican food aisle)
• 4 cups chicken stock or broth
• 15-ounce can cannellini or Great Northern beans
• 1 handful fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• Juice of 1 lime
• Shredded Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese, for garnish
• Handful of corn chips, optional

Heat a medium soup pot over medium-high heat with the vegetable oil. Add the chicken to the hot oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add onion, garlic, jalapeno, cumin and coriander and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, continuing to stir. Add tomatillo salsa and chicken stock. Bring the chili up to a simmer. Add half of the beans. With a fork thoroughly mash the other half of the beans, then add to the chili. This method will help to thicken the chili. Simmer the chili for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and add cilantro, parsley and lime juice.

Serve each bowl of chili with a little shredded Monterey Jack cheese on top and, if you prefer, some crushed corn chips.

Serves 4.

-- "Rachael Ray's Book of Ten" (Clarkson Potter, $20)

Looking for more from the Post-Gazette? Join PG+, our members-only web site. You'll get exclusive sports content, opinion, financial information, discounts from retailers and restaurants, and more. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.