Shake up your usual hamburger red chili game with this white version -- and make it as mild or spicy as you wish!
Ingredients
1 small yellow onion , diced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth
7 oz. of diced green chilies (you can buy them canned)
1.5 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon coriander
Salt
Black pepper
8 oz. Neufchatel cheese (light cream cheese)
1/4 cup frozen corn
2 (15 oz.) cans cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)
2 1/2 cups cooked shredded or cubed chicken
2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro (or Italian parsley if you prefer)
OPTIONAL SPICES if you like it hot:
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 cup diced pickled jalapenos
Preparation
Chop, mince and dice your ingredients ahead of time for easy cooking. This is a great recipe for leftover cooked chicken breasts -- or shred up a freshly cooked rotisserie chicken.
Cooking
- Heat your olive oil in a dutch oven or soup pot on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute 3-4 minutes until browned and translucent. Add the garlic and saute one minute more.
- Add the broth, chilies, cumin, paprika, oregano, coriander, and (if using) cayenne pepper. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir well. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer 15 minutes.
- Drain and rinse the beans. Measure out 1 cup from the rest and transfer the 1 cup of beans to a food processor or blender. Add 1/4 cup of broth from your soup pot, and blend just until smooth (do not pulverize into oblivion).
- Add the pureed beans back into the soup pot with the Neufchatel cheese (cube or thaw to room temperature for easier blending into the soup), the corn, jalapenos, chicken and the whole beans. Stir to combine and simmer 10 more minutes.
Serving
Not spicy enough for you? Serve with a hot sauce -- a green sauce would be a great choice. Other topping choices: sliced avocado, shredded pepperjack, tortilla strips, sour cream, cilantro.
A Little Backstory
This chili travels and freezes well, making it a stellar choice for potlucks, football parties and gift-giving. I made a pot of it for my niece's family -- they've just had their second child, born 6 weeks early, and between the NICU, work, picking up the first tyke from daycare and generally managing the day, there isn't a ton of time for meal planning. I got a text from her today: "I already tried to find the chili recipe so I can make it again! The chili needs to be on your blog." So ... here it is, sweetie.
This is why I listed the spices as optional in this recipe: If you have a tyke at home who likes meals bland, this chili is great without hotness. Kick it up with cayenne and jalapenos in your bowl if you prefer!
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