White Chicken Chili

Sink into a bowl of pure comfort with this White Chicken Chili recipe. It uses up leftover turkey or chili in a bowl of pure slow simmered comfort. 

Bring on the sleet and snow. It’s time to bust out the Dutch oven and braisers and get back into making slow simmered hearty food for the soul. This white chicken chili is a perfect football recipe. It can be made ahead of time and uses leftover chicken or turkey in a smooth and peppery pot of goodness. A relatively simple chili, this one is sure to be a staple in the rotation.

Chili, in general, is one of those recipes that I only crave when the nights are long and we are full into sweater season. A hearty and simple meal, but when done right, filled with layers of flavors. The longer it simmers, and the components mingle over the low heat, the more robust the flavors become. 

White chili isn’t my go to, as I often find it lacking in those layers that make me enjoy a more traditional red chili. But this white chicken chili recipe, with its pureed base for thickening, along with the roasted ancho chilis to add smokiness, can stand up to any championship red chili. With no dairy in the recipe, this is a healthier chili – omit the go-to toppings, like sour cream and cheese, and the corn and you have a lean mean and healthy recipe.

So, red or white?

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White Chicken Chili Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 poblanos stemmed, seeded and minced
• 6 oz roasted hatche chilis minced (or canned green chilis)
• 1 onion minced
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 quart chicken broth
• 2 16 oz can cannellini beans drained and rinsed
• salt and pepper
• 3 cups chopped leftover chicken or turkey chopped
• 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 1 lime
• sour cream
• cheddar cheese shredded
• avocado sliced
• fresh cilantro chopped

Instructions

1. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. 

2. Saute the onion, poblanos, and roasted hatche chilis for 5 to 7 minutes, until softened.

3. Add the garlic, cumin, and coriander, stirring to combine. And cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. 

4. Slowly whisk in the broth, deglazing the pot as needed. Bringing to a boil, and then reducing to low.

5. Add 1 can of the cannellini beans. 

6. Working in batches, transfer half of the mixture to a food processor and pulse until smooth. Alternatively, use an immersion blender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

7. Add the remaining can of beans and the chicken (or turkey) and frozen corn. Bring the heat back up to medium and allow the ingredients to simmer for an hour. 

8. When ready to serve, stir in the juice of one lime. 

9. Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, sliced avocado and fresh cilantro as desired. Make a toppings bar for each person to fancy up their own bowls. And enjoy.