It’s that time of year again! Time to break out the hearty soup recipes which have been waiting patiently in your cupboard since the weather started warming up. Now that there’s a crispness to the air, it’s time to make a good soup and snuggle up on the couch with the ones you love!
I recently made this chili for a potluck at work, and I am glad that I set aside a portion of the soup in our refrigerator at home, as there was none left by the time everyone had lunch!
This hearty soup is a fairly healthy soup as well, with white meat chicken, beans, and lots of spices for flavoring. Use a low-sodium chicken broth to increase the health factor. You can also soak and cook the beans yourself to up the health factor, but using canned is very convenient and still pretty healthful. It can be made on the stove top or in a crockpot.
Start by cooking your chicken in a separate pan. Don’t forget to season it to your tastes with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken all the way through.
Saute the onion and garlic in a stockpot until the onion is translucent. Add the spices and cook a little longer. The spices will become very fragrant.
Reserve a 1/2 cup of the broth and a cup of the beans. Mash the beans in a small bowl, then mix with the reserved broth.
Then, add everything to the ingredients to the stockpot.
Boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about an hour. Serve it up with your favorite toppings and a side of crusty bread, or maybe some garlic and cheese biscuits!
White Bean Chicken Chili
Adapted from Taste of Home
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 15 oz cans cannellini/white kidney beans, drained and rinsed, divided
3 cups chicken broth, divided
Optional toppings:
shredded cheddar cheese
fresh cilantro
sour cream
Season chicken generously with salt and pepper. Heat 1/2 of oil in pan, add chicken, and cook until chicken is done. Drain and set aside. Heat remaining oil in stock pot, add onions and garlic. Saute until onions become translucent. Add spices and cook 2 minutes more. Add all but 1/2 cup of chicken broth, and all but 1 cup of beans to stockpot. In a bowl, mash reserved beans. Stir in reserved broth until well mixed. Add bean mixture to stockpot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Alternatively, ingredients can be added to a crockpot and cooked on low for 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Garnish with desired toppings just before serving.
Makes 6 servings.