Delicious White Chicken Chilli

Every spring has a cold day here or there. So this spring, put this white chicken chili on the list! Warm spices, tender chicken, white beans of your choice, corn, topped with cilantro (my fav), green onions (my other fav), and sharp cheddar cheese (an everyday essential, of course).

It's so easy to put together, especially if you cheat and buy a rotisserie chicken for the meat.

White Chicken Chilli (Katie Newell, healthnutfoodie.com)

From Feeding Our Families

Ingredients (Serves six, leftovers are fantastic):

For the chilli:

3     cups cooked shredded chicken, about 1 pound

3     cups prepared white beans, or two 15-ounce cans

1½  cups frozen corn kernels

4     ounce can diced green chilies (mild)

1     large yellow onion, or 2 small

4     cloves garlic

2     tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1     quart chicken broth

½    cup sour cream, or more to taste

3     green onions

¼    cup flat-leaf parsley  

 

Shredded sharp cheddar cheese for topping 

For the seasonings:
1    tbsp ground cumin
1    tsp ground coriander
1    tsp dried oregano
1    tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne

Instructions (1 hour, 20 minutes, 20 minutes active):

Prepare your ingredients:  Dice 1 large or 2 small yellow onions.  Mince 4 cloves garlic.  Thinly slice 3 green onions.  Coarsely chop ¼ cup flat leaf parsley. If necessary, drain and rinse white beans. 

In a small bowl or ramekin, combine all ingredients listed under “for the seasonings”. 

Prepare your white chicken chili:  Heat a 4-quart or larger stockpot over medium heat for about 5 minutes. While pot heats, use a hand held blender or mini food processor to puree 1½ cups beans with 1 cup of the chicken broth (this will help thicken the soup). When pot is hot, add 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and heat an additional 30 seconds, until oil shimmers. Add diced onion and garlic and saute for about 6 minutes. Add combined seasonings and stir continuously for 2 minutes, being mindful not to let the spices burn. Add remaining chicken broth, shredded chicken, whole beans, pureed beans, frozen corn, and green chilies to pot. Increase heat to bring just to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about an hour.  Remove from heat. Stir in green onions, parsley, and ½ cup or so of sour cream. 

Getting it in the table: Ladle soup into bowls. Top with cheddar cheese. Serve with your favorite whole grain crackers, fruit, or cut up veggies and dip. Enjoy!

Notes: This is a very flavorful soup, but has very little heat. This makes it super kid-friendly. Our entire family looks forward to this simple dinner. Vegetarians, omit the chicken and use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth. This dish is naturally nut-free and gluten-free. If you choose to double the recipe to freeze for a future dinner, freeze the second batch of soup before you stir in the sour cream (to prevent the cream from curdling when reheated). If you forget and add the sour cream, reheat the soup at just over medium low, no higher.