Brrrr! It’s been Michigan cold this week, and that makes me hungry for one of my favorite dishes: White chicken chili. The name comes from the white beans used in the dish.
Is it a chicken and bean stew? A soup? I call it chili because of its seasonings. But you may want to take it in another direction entirely. Substitute a teaspoon of crumbled rosemary and thyme for the chili powder and cumin, and you will have a more Italian flavor profile.
However you make it, it’s an adaptable dish, quick and easy to make, with a sturdiness that stays with you to warm you up for hours. It’s surprisingly rich, so portions can stay small. Leftovers make an enviable lunch that will carry you through the long afternoon.
Use canned cannellini beans and rotisserie chicken if you’re in a hurry, and don’t be apologetic.
Or do as I did this week and cook the beans from scratch — I did so because the Peruano beans I wanted to use don’t come in cans. Creamy and mild-flavored, pale green Peruanos cook quickly — my unsoaked beans were done in about an hour, and their color had changed to an impeccable ivory.
I also had some boneless, skinless chicken thighs handy, which I prefer to boneless, skinless chicken breasts for dishes like this. Dark meat contributes richness to this dish, which I wanted.
Thanks to my farmers market excursions, I had some roasted garlic from Red’s Roasters to add. Its pungency softens when garlic is roasted, so I knew I could use a whole head with no danger of offending neighbors three doors away. The roasted garlic added smoky, roasty flavor to the pot. The chile was also easy: I just pulled a roasted hatch chile from my freezer and rinsed it under cold water to peel and thaw before I seeded and diced it.
Sometimes this dish uses shredded chicken. I prefer it with chunks of chicken because I rarely have shreddable chicken on hand but your preference may be different. Either type works fine.
I admit that the final splash of cream or half-and-half may be gilding the lily. In my experience, however, that little bit of dairy contributes its own magic, and I wouldn’t make this dish without it.
If, by the way, you’d like this chili to be thicker, there are a few ways to do that. One is simply to simmer the chili, uncovered, to reduce the liquid before you add the chicken pieces. Why not just add less broth in the first place? Because reduced broth has even more intense flavor.
Another way to thicken it slightly is to remove some of the beans, mash them and return them to the pot. Sometimes I thicken this a little with a sprinkling of masa harina, which also has the benefit of contributing even more corn flavor.
But most commonly, I enjoy this just as it comes from the pot, with a generous sprinkling of grated cheese and some diced avocado. If I feel the need to have something alongside, warmed flour tortillas are terrific for dipping into the broth.
White chicken chili
Makes 4 to 6 servings
If you’d rather not use roasted garlic, mince 3 to 4 cloves of fresh garlic and add them to sauté with the onion in the first step. However, roasted garlic lends mellow sweetness and richness to this dish, and I highly recommend it. This dish does not freeze well because of the cream, so plan to eat any leftovers within a day or two.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small white onion, diced
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 roasted chile, such as hatch, peeled, seeded and diced
4 cups chicken broth
1 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 head roasted garlic, cloves squeezed into pot
1 teaspoon oregano
1 bay leaf
2 cups cooked beans, or 1 14.5-ounce can canned beans
1 cup corn kernels (frozen are fine; add while still frozen)
ƒ cup heavy cream or half-and-half
Salt and pepper, to taste
Grated cheese, for garnish
Diced avocado, for garnish
Minced onion, for garnish
Preparation
In a large heavy pot with a lid, heat the olive oil over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the onion, chili powder, cumin and diced chile and cook, stirring, until the onion has softened and is translucent, about 10 minutes. If you’re using fresh minced garlic, add it now and cook, stirring, for a minute or two until the garlic is fragrant.
Stir in the chicken broth, chicken, roasted garlic, oregano and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until chicken pieces are done and tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in cooked beans, or add canned beans now, and simmer an additional 10 minutes. Stir in corn and cream or half-and-half, and allow a minute or two to heat through. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired.
To serve, ladle chili into bowls and garnish as desired with grated cheese, diced avocado and onion.
