White Chicken Chili

White Chicken Chili

I was watching American Beauty the other day…I know, I know, it’s an eccentric kind of movie.  But, I was completely struck by one of Ricky’s lines when he is showing his movies to Jane.  It’s during the beautiful little film of the bag being tossed by the wind that Ricky says:

"It was one of those days when it’s a minute away from snowing and there’s electricity in the air, you can almost hear it.  Right?  And this bag was just dancing with me.  Like a kid begging me to play with it.  For fifteen minutes.  That’s the day I realized that there was this entire life behind things, and this incredibly benevolent force wanted me to know there was no reason to be afraid, ever.  Video’s a poor excuse, I know.  But it helps me remember…I need to remember…Sometimes there’s so much beauty in the world, I feel like I can’t take it, and my heart is just going to cave in."

Wow.  That line, accompanied with the video of the grocery bag dancing in the wind, up, down, in circles, got to me.  Beauty, signs from God of love and life, are all around if we slow down and let ourselves experience them.  So before we get to the recipe, I want to challenge all of us to watch for beauty today as we go about our normal lives…it is there, I guarantee it.

For me, one of the greatest signs of beauty is in food.  The way simple items from this planet come together and create something delectable.  This dish is just that…simple.  It is simple, healthy and hearty, yet is tastes so good!  I adore chicken chili; actually, I adore chili of any variety.  This is a recipe I’ve been using for years, but I decided to tweak it a little and see if it could be made better.  It could indeed!  I loved the results; I hope you do too!

Ingredients
3 Cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (or navy beans, or any other white bean)

5 Cups chicken stock

Olive oil

2 Cloves garlic, minced

1 Onion, diced

2 Poblano peppers, seeded and diced

1 Anaheim pepper, seeded and diced

2 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ¾ inch cubes

¾ Cup corn kernels

1 Tablespoon cumin

1 Tablespoon oregano

½ Teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper

Sour cream

Shredded cheddar cheese

Scallions

Step 1

We are going to cook the chicken first, and then it will just wait to be revisited until the end.  So, go ahead and cube your chicken.  When you are close to being finished, put your soup pot over medium high heat with about a tablespoon of olive oil in the bottom.  By the time you are finished, the oil should be hot, so add your chicken, as well as some salt and pepper, and let it brown.  When it is cooked, set it aside for later.

Step 2

Next, we will prep the veggies by dicing the onion, poblanos and Anaheim and mince the garlic.  Using the same pot, over medium heat, add another tablespoon of oil. 

Add the onion and peppers to the oil and sauté them for about 6 minutes, until they are softened.  Then add the garlic and let it cook with the veggies for 1 minute.  Add 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper.

Step 3

Add the chicken stock, cumin, oregano, crushed red peppers and all BUT 1 cup of the beans (reserve 1 cup!).  Let the soup simmer for 10 – 12 minutes.

Step 4

Puree the soup using an immersion blender, blender or food processor.  The pureed beans will make it lovely and thick.  Return the pureed soup to the heat and let it simmer for another 10 minutes to let it reduce and thicken even more.

Step 5

Add the chicken, corn and reserved beans to the pot.  Taste and season accordingly.  Then let it simmer another 5 minutes to let the additional ingredients warm.

To serve, I like to top the chili with sour cream, shredded cheddar and scallions.

I honestly think this chili is even better the next day!  The beans make the soup more thick as it sits, so it is the perfect texture for me on day 2.  I love a dish that makes great leftovers! J

Here's to a day filled with beauty (and a hearty, warming dinner)!