White Bean and Chicken Chili with Roasted Garlic

We had YET ANOTHER cold and rainy day here in Portland so I decided to finally try making a white bean and chicken chili. It was a simple recipe to make and it tasted really, really good. I liked the chunks of chicken and pieces of green chili. My favorite part of this soup was the the cilantro and roasted garlic flavor of the broth, it was delicious. My husband, son, and I loved it but my daughter wasn't a fan. I didn't make is spicy so the kids could eat it but next time I'll add a jalapeno for a bit of a kick. It wasn't as thick as a regular chili but not as thin as a soup. I topped each bowl with crispy corn tortilla strips, cotija cheese and green onions.

White Bean and Chicken Chili:
Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

• 1-2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion
• 1 7 oz can of whole green chiles, diced
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 4 cups of chicken broth (I used homemade)
• 1 head of roasted garlic, smashed with a fork
• 1 15 oz can of white beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 15 oz can of white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups of roasted chicken, chopped
• 1/2 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped

Roast the garlic (click here for instructions). Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes; add the diced green chiles, cumin, oregano and some sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes then add the broth. Once the roasted garlic is done, squeeze it out of the husk and smash it with a fork. Add the roasted garlic to the broth and mix it thoroughly. Next add the beans, chicken and cilantro. Simmer on low for 30 minutes.


Toppings:

• 2-3 corn tortillas, cut into strips and baked until crispy
• 2 green onions, diced
• Cotija cheese, shredded

While the soup is simmering. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray then place the tortilla strips on it and spray them with cooking spray and season with sea salt. Bake in the oven for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown.


Taste the chili and re-season with salt, pepper, oregano or cumin if needed. Ladle the chili into bowls, top with crispy tortilla strips, cotija cheese and green onions. Enjoy.



Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net