Heading into fall with a healthier version of a classic cold-weather soup. This White Chicken Chili uses only cheese as a garnish and we swap the heavy cream out and simply puree some of the beans to keep the thick texture.
I chose to use chickpeas because they rank at the top of the bean-list when it comes to nutrition. Chickpeas are a great source of fiber, protein, and other nutrients and vitamins as well as being low in calories. However, if you’re not a fan of the chickpea simply swap for cans of Great Northern Beans and/or Cannellini beans which are also a great source of protein and nutrients.
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Healthy White Chicken Chili
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
- 1 large white onion – chopped
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic – chopped
- 2 cans green chiles
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 8 cups chicken broth (sub with bullion dissolved in water if you don’t have any stock)
- 3 cans chickpeas* – rinsed, drained and skin removed
- salt and pepper
- 1 + 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast (or the variety of your choice)
- 2 cans of corn – drained
For garnish:
- 1 cup cotija (Mexican cheese) crumbled
- tortilla chips
- avocado slices
- lime wedge
Instructions
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Add olive oil to a large dutch oven or large pot and place over medium-high heat. Add the onion, green chiles and garlic season with salt and pepper and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
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Add in the spices cumin, chili powder, and dried oregano; stir and allow the spices to cook for about a minute then pour in chicken broth. Bring to a boil and add in the raw chicken. Simmer until the chicken is fully cooked. Remove chicken and shred, set to the side.
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While the chicken is cooking remove the skin from the chickpeas. Place the drained chickpeas in a deep bowl, add enough water to cover the beans at least by 2 inches. Using your hands, gently rub the beans in between your palms. The skins will float to the top, pour off the skins and add more water, repeat until you no longer see any remaining skin. *Note: If you’d like to skip this step sub the chickpeas with Cannellini beans or Great Northern Beans.
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Add in half the beans to the chicken stock. Using your immersion blender puree the beans. The stock should thicken. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Add in the remaining whole beans, corn and the shredded chicken.
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Bring back to a boil then turn down to a simmer and cook for another 15 min or until the soup is heated through. Serve with tortilla chips, lime wedges, cotija and avocado if you’d like.
Keywords: Mexican, chili, chicken, cotija, avocado
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