WHITE CHICKEN CHILI

“Soup is the song of the hearth and the home.”
~Louis Pullig De Gouy

Yes, I am sharing another soup recipe. For those that are not huge fans of soup, my husband heartily agrees with you. He does not hate soup, but he cannot eat it every-day-for-a-week like I can. However, my step son Lukas and I think that is okay if John does not want soup – it just means more for us. In fact, Lukas is so wild about my soup concoctions that he believes we should start up a soup restaurant. Every weekend I make a huge pot, or crockpot, of soup and it ends up being my lunch for work. Lukas always enjoys a couple of bowls and I freeze any leftovers for a quick meal when we are in a hurry or I do not feel like cooking.

Over the past few years, my palate has definitely yearned for spicy dishes. After an incredible jalapeño crop this summer, I have been trying to find multiple uses for peppers. Therefore, I called on my social media circle asking if anyone had a tried-and-true recipe for White Chicken Chili. As the statement goes, “Ask and you will receive!” I certainly did receive about twenty different recipes. So in typical Amy fashion, I combined many of the recipes into one that I thought would be good. After all, I truly believe that a recipe is just a “suggestion” and I love to hear how others have tweaked my recipes to fit their lifestyle, preference, or simply what they have on hand in their kitchen. I like lots of vegetables in my soup, thus, the celery, green peppers, corn, and onion.

WHITE CHICKEN CHILI

*3 Cups of roasted chicken (if you are using breasts – 1 pound)
*8 Cups of chicken stock/broth (you can reduce this if you want the chili to be thicker)
*2 Cans of white beans
*1 Can of corn
*½ Large onion – chopped
*3 Ribs of celery – chopped
*½ Green bell pepper
*3 fresh chopped jalapeno (I left some of the seeds for heat)
*2 Tablespoons of minced garlic
*1 Can of Rotel tomatoes with lime and cilantro
*2 Cans of green chilis
*2 Tablespoons of ranch seasoning
*1 Tablespoon of cumin (I added more to taste)
*1 Tablespoon of coriander (I added more to taste)
*Salt and pepper to taste
*3 Tablespoons of flour (to thicken)
*1 block of cream cheese
*Fresh Limes – cut in wedges (to serve with)
*Chopped cilantro (to garnish)
*Sour cream to garnish
*Optional – tortilla chips

Put all ingredients in a pot or crockpot (except for the flour, cream cheese, limes, cilantro, and sour cream). Whether I make soup on the stovetop or in the crockpot, I like to saute the onion, celery, garlic, and peppers first.

Crockpot – cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stovetop – simmer for 30 minutes.

Before serving I whisked the flour into some of the hot broth and incorporated into the crockpot to thicken it a little. I also added one block of cream cheese for creaminess. If you do not want to add dairy, you could puree up the beans before adding to the chili.

I served the piping hot bowl with a squeeze of lime and a dollop of sour cream and cilantro on top. Tortilla chips are my weakness, so I allow myself to have at least a few.

This White Chicken Chili was so good that I made it two weeks in a row. We do Sunday dinners big in our house and my stepdaughter Avalon’s boyfriend always has an open invite. I am thinking over the holidays we will have a chili night with both a traditional Red Chili and this White Chicken Chili. I am envisioning tons of fun toppings, cornbread with hot honey, tortilla and corn chips, and maybe even hotdogs or baked potatoes for Chili Loaded Baked Potatoes. It sounds like a plan that I can put into motion. Afterall, one of my biggest joys in life is cooking for my family.

Make sure you check out the tab at the top of the page to find more of my recipes and find me on Facebook, Tik Tok, and Instagram. I love being out in public and having people say that they love my blog and my Marquette Neighbors column. I met so many kind people at the Skandia Farmers Market this summer that said they love the content that I post and write. Thank you!

I hope you have a wonderful holiday season and find and give love, warmth, and comfort in unexpected places. Remember to take care of yourself and each other!