White Chicken Chili

This is a wonderfully different spin on chili, and a favorite at our house, especially on a chilly Saturday afternoon while watching football.  Serve each bowl with salsa, sour cream, crushed tortilla chips, and/or additional shredded cheese.

INGREDIENTS 

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped (OR 3 Tablespoons minced, dried onion)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (8 ounce) can chopped green chiles
• 1 jalapeno pepper, diced (optional)*
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)*
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 ½ teaspoons oregano
• ½ t. salt
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 3 (15 ounce) cans Great Northern beans, undrained
• 2 pounds chicken breast, cooked and diced
• 1 cup shredded cheese, cheddar or Monterey Jack flavor (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. In large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat.  Add fresh onions (if using) and garlic; sauté three minutes.
2. Stir in green chiles, jalapeno and cayenne pepper (if using), and cumin, oregano, salt, and dried onions (if using); sauté another two minutes. 
3. Mix in broth and beans.  Bring to boil; reduce heat to low.  Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes.
4. Stir in diced, cooked chicken; heat through (about five minutes).  Turn off burner and remove pot from heat.  Slowly sprinkle cheese (if using) into soup and stir until melted, or add cheese (and other mix-ins) to individual bowls after serving.

TIPS

*Adjust heat to your family’s preference.  I completely omit jalapeno and cayenne pepper for our sensitive tastes.

** Simmer chicken breasts on the stove in a pot of water for a couple hours (until tender). Use a fork or fingers to shred/break into pieces the chicken, separating from fat as you go (no need to trim chicken before cooking). Refrigerate or freeze prepared chicken until ready to use (thawing first, if necessary).

ALLERGY INFO

This recipe is free of eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish.  To make it dairy-, wheat-, soy-, and/or gluten-free, carefully choose a broth with safe ingredients (many brands aren’t allergen-free; contact me if you need product suggestions as there are options out there).  Omit add-ins or use safe alternatives.  Beans are naturally gluten-free, but canned ones can sometimes contain other non-GF ingredients (look for cans that list only beans, water, and salt as ingredients).  Always double-check ingredients, including cross-contamination risk based on your level of sensitivity and comfort.