I just got back to the East Coast, and even though it will be in the mid-80’s this weekend, wishful thinking tells me it’s almost fall and I need to start making soups, stews, and chilis. Since I recently rejoined Weight Watchers, I resurrected a recipe I used to make all the time! They’ve tweaked their program, I’ve tweaked my recipe, so keep reading for your new fall classic.
The ingredients are pretty simple, and I’m willing to bet if you cook often, you probably have most of these already. I always have a selection of broths and beans in the pantry, there’s always some chicken in the freezer, and I buy onions in bulk, so I didn’t need to chase down too many additional ingredients. One of the key items is the chopped green chiles. I use mild chiles, but you could definitely spice this dish up with hot chiles…or better yet, it’s Hatch chile season, go find some and roast them!
Alright, on to the cooking. This is a one cutting board, one pot meal. First, heat a couple tablespoons of quality olive oil in a stock pot on medium heat. This makes about 4 quarts of chili, so plan the pot size accordingly. Since this is pretty much the only fat in this dish, you’ll be able to taste the oil if you choose one that has a strong olive flavor. Next, dice the onion (mine was HUGE today, but I usually use 2 medium onions). Throw it in the pot and stir to coat in the oil. The goal is to sweat out the onions.
While the onion starts to sweat, chop the entire bunch of celery. The goal should be to make the onion and celery pieces about the same size. This means you might have to split some of the celery ribs longwise. Throw it in the pot and stir again.
Time for garlic! I add a lot, and took a little help from a jar of minced cloves, but fresh would work as well (though you would probably need less of it). Do not burn the garlic, your dish will never recover and taste bitter.
Keep an eye on the sweating veggies, and dice your chicken. I use chicken breasts for this, but tenderloins would be super easy to cut into bite size pieces and work just as well. When the veggies are soft, put all the chicken in the pot and stir. Make sure you now wash your cutting board and knife, your hands, and wipe down/sanitize your counter as well. You know, that whole raw chicken juice thing….
While the chicken cooks, open your cans of beans and chiles. You will use the chiles as is, juice and all, so set them aside. Rinse the beans gently in a colander. If some are split open, don’t worry, the starch will help thicken the chili. Once the chicken is mostly cooked through, add the chiles, oregano, white pepper, and the beans.
Add 8 cups (2 boxes) of broth and stir. Heat through and eat!
OPTIONAL (but recommended): The recipe as is will be mostly clear and resemble a chicken bean soup. To thicken it naturally, you can use a third can of beans, pureed with an immersion blender and some of the broth. Just pour the mixture back in and bring to a simmer before eating.
When you’re ready to eat, you can garnish with cilantro or cheese, but it’s delicious as is. I ate one portion and packed up all the rest for lunches.
If you’re counting WW points, this chili is 1 point (for the oil) for 2 cups of chili. Can’t beat that for a lunch!
If you happen to like the Nessie ladle, it is (of course) from Amazon. I once saw them on another cooking blog and just had to order! There are a couple color options available.
NOTE: As an Amazon Associate, and at no additional cost to you, I may earn a commission from any products purchased from the links in this post. Seriously, I’m not in this for the money, but if I can offset the hosting costs, I’ll be a happy traveler!
White Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1-2 red onions
- 1 bunch celery
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 lbs chicken breast
- 2 Tbsp oregano
- 1 Tbsp white pepper
- salt to taste
- 2 cans Great Northern Beans
- 1 7 oz can chopped green chiles (or 2 smaller cans)
- 8 cups chicken broth
Optional:
- 1 can Great Northern Beans
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a stockpot over medium heat
- Dice the onions and toss in the pot
- Cut the celery into pieces approx the size of the onions, splitting the ribs if necessary. Toss into the pot.
- Add minced garlic and stir.
- Sweat the onions and celery with a sprinkle of salt over low-medium heat for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Trim and cut the chicken into bite size pieces. Toss into the pot and stir occasionally. Cook until there is no pink in the chicken.
- Add the oregano and pepper. Salt if desired, remember the broth has a lot of salt!
- Add canned chiles (do not drain first) and stir.
- Drain and rinse 2 cans of the beans. Add the beans to the pot.
- Add the broth and reduce heat to medium-low and bring to simmer. Heat through and serve.
Optional (to thicken chili):
- Drain and rinse a third can of beans.
- Puree beans with some of the cooking broth. I use an immersion blender, but a blender or food processor could be used.
- Add puree to pot and bring to a simmer. Serve!
