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Sometimes a meal can be made up of just soup and that is the most wonderfully comfortable thing you can imagine eating. In my humble opinion, cold winters are made for crave-able warm meals. But it’s also important to have something that is also filling and that’s just what this white bean chicken chili is!
This is not a traditional chili, but it has similar components that work together to create a super delicious soup. This soup has simple steps that, put together, can totally be considered a one-pot meal. After simmering, which creates a deeper flavor, the soup is ready to serve.
But I’ll let you in on the secret reason I love this soup: it makes great leftovers all week.
The ingredients that make this a great chicken chili
- Onion is the base flavor of many meals. As the onion sautés, the natural sugars are released for a sweeter flavor. Because of this, I like to choose a sweet onion for this recipe.
- Jalapeños have spice but also have a fresh, bright punch of flavor. To tame the spice, remove the seeds and pith.
- Poblano peppers are one of my favorite peppers. They have a slightly smoky flavor with just a hint of spice. Again, remove any seeds and pith to lower the heat level.
- Cumin is essential in any chili and adds an earthy, warm flavor.
- Coriander is a unique flavor that works well with cumin and oregano.
- Oregano is a classic chili herb to use. I use Mexican oregano, which is different from Italian or Greek oregano, because of its distinct and unique flavor. If you cannot find Mexican oregano, just use what you have.
- Chicken breast makes this soup a hearty meal. The breast is cooked within the soup, adding more flavor and enriching the stock. Plus, it just makes it easier, right?
- Corn adds great texture and a little sweetness. The canned variety works, but frozen corn will hold its texture better.
- White beans are the star of this chili. One trick I use to thicken up the soup is to mash a few of the canned beans. It really does add body. The remaining whole beans add creamy texture.
This soup is easy to assemble and has major flavor. My favorite part is how you can make it your own. Serve with toppings such as tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream, avocado, salsa, and pickled peppers. Each person can make this their own and thoroughly enjoy it!
More soup recipes
Watch how to make this white bean chicken chili recipe
White Bean Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp neutral oil (I use avocado or grapeseed)
- 1 medium onion
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
- 2 small jalapeños diced with seeds and pith removed
- 2 poblano peppers diced with seeds and pith removed
- 1 ½ tsp cumin
- ¾ tsp coriander
- 1 tsp oregano
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 1 ½ lb chicken breast
- 2 cups frozen corn thawed
- 2 14.5-oz cans white beans drained
Instructions
- In an 8-quart stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and salt. Sauté until softened but not browned, 4-6 minutes. Once the onions are softened, add the peppers and sauté until the peppers begin to soften, 3-4 minutes. Add the cumin, coriander, and oregano. Stir together until the spices become aromatic, 1 minute.2 tbsp neutral oil (I use avocado or grapeseed), 1 medium onion, 1 ½ tsp kosher salt, 2 small jalapeños, 2 poblano peppers, 1 ½ tsp cumin, ¾ tsp coriander, 1 tsp oregano
- Add in the chicken stock and chicken breast. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook until the chicken reaches 160°F.5 cups chicken stock, 1 ½ lb chicken breast
- Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the soup and cool slightly. Take 1 cup of white beans and mash with a fork until smooth. Immediately add the mashed white beans, remaining whole white beans, and the corn to the soup and return to a simmer.2 cups frozen corn, 2 14.5-oz cans white beans
- When the chicken has cooled slightly, use two forks to shred it into bite-size pieces. Return the shredded chicken to the soup to warm through, 5 minutes. Serve with desired toppings.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment below!
We are making it for dinner. Saw on Today show. Looks delicious
This chicken chili is the bomb. I am not a jalapeño or other pepper girl. Not much for spicy foods. I went ahead and used both kinds of peppers and it was perfect. The one thing I did was leave some of the peppers in the broth because I was not gonna like the spice. I will be making this as I am trying to eat less red meat
Delicious
This soup was amazing! It actually exceeded my expectations. My whole family loved it, and my kids even asked me to make it again the next day!
So delicious
Stayed true to the recipe and I will definitely add it to our rotation, especially in the winter
Best white bean chili ever!
I’ve been looking for a white chili recipe for a while. The others I tried just weren’t quite right . This one is perfect. It has it all and will now be a regular in our home. Thank you Kaleb!
Thanks for this recipe. I used my 8qt instant pot and it was fast and delicious. Not a corn fan so I used 4 cans of white beans.
Made your white bean chicken chili tonight, it’s delicious! My husband and I really enjoyed it. For our toppings, I fried corn tortilla strips to put on top, we also had jalapeño jack cheese, cilantro and avocado, superb. Thank you again for a wonderful, easy dinner.
It’s on the stove now! Can’t wait to try it! So simple to throw together. Thank you!