White Chicken Chili

Sunday Soup


Talk about a bowl full of goodness, this chili is wonderful! We really love the flavors that go into it; it's almost like a posole with the jalapeno and green chilies and the cilantro garnish. I loved the warmed corn tortillas with it in place of corn tortilla chips. It changes it up a little bit and it's great to sop up the last bit of the soup in the bowl.

This chili is really easy to throw together and you can even do some of it the day before, like cook the beans and chicken. I actually cooked a big batch of beans earlier in the week and just took out the 2 cups I needed for my soup today and threw them in the freezer. All I had to do was pull them out when I was ready to cook!

The recipe only serves about 4 so you may want to double it if you have more people. Heck, you may want to double it anyway because it's that good!


1 whole Fryer Chicken, Cut Up (or 1 1/2 Cups Cooked Chicken)
olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 whole cans green chilies, chopped
1/2 pound dried great northern beans, rinsed (2 cups beans or about 1 can of beans)
4 cups Chicken Broth
1/2 whole jalapeno, sliced
3/4 Tbsp. ground cumin
salt, to taste (you're gonna need a lot because beans are very bland on their own, but add it a little at a time until it's too your liking.)
ground pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp. masa (corn Flour) OR cornmeal

Garnishes:
grated monterey jack cheese (or pepper jack if you like more heat)
sour cream
chopped cilantro
freshly squeezed lime
corn tortillas, warmed (or corn tortilla chips)

Cover chicken with about 8-9 cups water and cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until done. Remove chicken to a large platter or cookie sheet to cool. Reserve broth. (If you do this step ahead, you can put the broth in the fridge then scrape off the fat that solidifies on top.) You're only going to need about half of the broth, the rest can go in the freezer.

Once meat is cooled, remove meat from bones. Set aside. (You will have enough chicken for 2-3 meals. Just portion out what you don't need for the soup and throw it in the freezer for future meals.)

In a dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat olive oil and saute onions and garlic for 2 minutes. Add chopped green chilies, then rinsed beans. Pour chicken broth into the pan. Add sliced jalapenos. Season with salt, pepper, and cumin. Place lid on pot and reduce heat to low.

Cook for 2 hours or until beans are done. (If you've already cooked your beans, or are using canned beans, cook about 10 minutes.) Halfway through the cooking process, add 1 1/2 cups of cooked chicken.

When beans are tender, mix masa (or cornmeal) with a little water and pour into the chili. Cook for a few more minutes to thicken. Check seasoning and adjust.

Serve chili in a bowl and add which ever garnishes you wish.


SOURCE:Adapted from Pioneer Woman

Linked to...
Recipe Swap Thursday @ Prarie Story.
Make Ahead Meals For Busy Moms
This Week's Cravings @ Mom's Crazy Cooking
Made From Scratch Tuesday @ From Mess Hall To Bistro