Recipe: White Bean Chicken Chili (GF, DF)

This white bean chicken chili is a super easy one-pot weeknight meal! I particularly love this chili because it’s hearty and satisfying while still being light and tangy, in contrast to the heaviness of a traditional chili.

I also love that you can totally make it your own - for instance if you like a more liquidy chili, you can always add more broth, or, if you really like red bell peppers instead of green you can use those instead (or a combo!). So while I’ll give you a blueprint for a perfect white bean chicken chili, feel free to make it your own! Enjoy <3

Full Recipe:

This makes enough to have for lunches and dinners for several days. If you’re just making it for one or two people and don’t want to have much leftover, cut all the quantities in half. We make a lot because I love chili leftovers and can eat it all week, or because sometimes I’ll freeze half of it to have for future easy dinners!

Ingredients:

• 3 (15oz) cans cannellini beans, drained. Keep 1 can separate from the other 2 cans (you’ll see why in step 1!)

• 3 cups chicken broth (divided - separate out 1 cup)

• 1 cup frozen corn

• ~4 cups cooked shredded chicken (1 rotisserie chicken)

• 2 TBSP EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

• Produce to chop/prep:

  • 1 large yellow onion, diced

  • 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded & minced

  • 2 Poblano peppers or green bell peppers, seeded &diced

  • 7 garlic cloves, minced

  • ~4 limes, juiced

• Spices:

  • 2 TBSP ground cumin

  • 3 tsp ground coriander

  • 2 tsp Ancho chili powder

  • 2 tsp garlic powder

  • 2 tsp onion powder

  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)

  • 2 tsp salt (or to taste)

• Optional toppings:

  • Avocado

  • Sour cream

  • Tortilla chips

  • Cheddar cheese

  • Scallions

  • Cilantro

  • Lime juice

Instructions:

1. In a blender or food processor, blend 1 cup chicken broth with 1 can of drained beans. Set aside.

2. In a large pot, heat the EVOO over medium-high heat

3. Add the onion, jalapeno, and poblano (or bell) peppers, and cook for ~5-7 minutes, stirring frequently

4. Add garlic cook for another ~2 minutes, stirring frequently

5. Add all spices and cook for another ~1 minute, stirring frequently

6. Add the pureed bean/broth mixture from step 1, and the remaining 2 cups of chicken broth, and bring to a boil

7. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes

8. Stir in the cooked shredded chicken, remaining 2 cans of drained beans, cup of frozen corn, and lime juice

9. Taste your chili and adjust all spices as desired

   1. Add more cayenne for spiciness, lime juice for tang/brightness, salt if desired, etc.

   2. Optional: if you want more creaminess, you can also add a little heavy cream, half & half, or non-dairy milk to the mixture. Make sure to slowly whisk/stir it in, or it will curdle.

10. Once you’ve adjusted your spices to your taste, let everything sit in the pot simmering for another ~10 minutes

11. Ladle into bowls & serve with optional toppings!

Notes:

• For the chicken: in my opinion the easiest route is to get a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store (I love using an organic rotisserie chicken from Whole Foods), but you can also boil, pressure cook, or slow-cook a few chicken breasts ahead of time and shred that before starting the chili. Some stores also sell canned shredded chicken. If you go this route, just make sure the only ingredient is chicken & that there aren’t any added colors, flavorings, or preservatives in the package.

• Chili texture: I personally like my chili to be more thick/chunky with less liquid, but if you like a runnier/more liquidy chili, you can add a cup or two of extra chicken broth/stock to the mixture (add as much or as little as you want for whatever texture you desire) after you add the beans 

• If you like additional other veggies in your chili, feel free to add any extras at the same time that you add the onions, other colored bell peppers, etc. to your pot!