I have a lot of favorite soups, but most people who know me know that this White Chicken Chili is at the top of my list, partly due to the fact that I make it from things my pantry very rarely runs out of, so I end up making it a lot when other meal plans get tossed out the window. It’s really fast, and really easy, and it’s major comfort food for me. I often make a pot at lunch time and just keep it warm until dinner, grabbing a bowl or two in between! Kids love it because they can put chips and cheese on it. Heck, I love it because you put chips and cheese on it.
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
Chili
- Olive oil – You could also use non-stick spray.
- Chicken – This recipe calls for raw boneless, skinless chicken breasts. If you want to speed dinner up or use up leftovers, rotisserie or previously cooked chicken works great, simply add it to the pot during the last 5-10 minutes of simmering to heat up.
- Onion
- Fresh garlic
- Great northern beans – This recipe calls for raw boneless, skinless chicken breasts. If you want to speed dinner up or use up leftovers, rotisserie or previously cooked chicken works great, simply add it to the pot during the last 5-10 minutes of simmering to heat up.
- Great Northern Beans – Any white bean will do! Look for great northern, large white, or cannellini.
- Green chiles
- Cumin
- Dried oregano
- Coriander
- Salt
- Fresh cilantro and lime – These flavors add so much to the soup, but they also mellow quickly. If making ahead to refrigerate or freeze, omit the lime juice and cilantro. Add them after the soup has been reheated, just prior to serving.
- Chicken broth – This makes up the main body of the soup so make sure to use one you love. Canned or boxed broth is great, or Better Than Bouillon. Avoid bouillon cubes or powder.
Toppings
The possibilities are endless here. Don’t feel like you have to have every one of them available, just pick your favorites!
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Cilantro
- Green onions
- Shredded Jack, pepper Jack cheese
- Cotija or queso fresco
- Diced avocado
- Tortilla chips or strips
- Bread – I LOVE this soup with a loaf of warm, crusty bread smothered with this Creamy Jalapeno-Lime Butter. When you dip the bread into the hot soup, the butter melts and it is seriously the most amazing thing.
- Spice – This is not a spicy dish. If you want to add some heat, add some diced jalapeños in while cooking your onions, or add some Tabasco sauce near the end of cooking or as a condiment.
How to Make White Chicken Chili
- To start, you’ll cook up some chicken, onion, and garlic really quickly. You would do this in a large soup pot or Dutch Oven.
- When that’s mostly done cooking, you’ll add in some white beans (great northern or cannellini work) and some diced green chiles. These are mild, so they don’t add heat, just tons of flavor. Don’t drain them, you’ll want all those good juices, too. Add a handful of seasonings, and then let it simmer away.
- After a quick simmer, add in some fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro. Then serve it in bowls with allllll the toppings. Seriously, guys. Don’t forget the toppings.
Storing and Other Tips
- Store cooled leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3-4 days for best results.
- Like most soups, White Chicken Chili freezes well. Freeze in individual portions for a quick meal when needed!
Frequently Asked Questions
I LOVE soups as freezer meals. Most of them freeze and reheat beautifully. Simply prepare the White Chicken Chili but omit the lime juice and cilantro. Cool completely and transfer to your preferred freezer container. I love freezing individual servings in my Souper Cubes molds to pull out for an easy lunch. Once reheated, add lime juice, cilantro, and toppings.
Yep! Just add it in the last 5-10 minutes of cooking to heat through.
I call this a chili, but it’s really a soup consistency. If you want it thicker, just reduce the amount of broth. Or, alternatively, take an additional can of beans (drained and rinsed) and place them in a blender. Ladle in a cup or 2 of the finished broth (avoid the chicken pieces, etc.) and puree until smooth. Add this mixture to the soup.
Another way to make this a creamier, heartier soup is to add about 1/3 cup dry rice with the broth and let it simmer until soft (about 20 minutes). You can also add a can of evaporated milk at the very end after the heat has been turned off.
White Chicken Chili
Equipment
Ingredients
Chili
- 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin, or non-stick spray
- 1 pound chicken, boneless cubed (about 3-4 boneless, skinless breasts)
- 1 onion, medium diced
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cans Great Northern Beans
- 1 3.5-ounce can green chilies
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon oregano leaves dried
- ½ teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon salt
- fresh cracked pepper
- 1 lime
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
- 32 ounces chicken broth
Toppings
- sour cream or non-fat Greek yogurt
- cilantro chopped
- pepperjack or Jack cheese shredded
- avocado
- tortilla chips
- Also great served with crusty bread and Creamy Jalapeno-Lime Butter
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat olive oil. Add chopped onion and cook for about 2 minutes- just until it starts to become translucent. While onions are cooking, drain beans, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
- Sprinkle chopped chicken with a little salt and pepper and add to pot. Add garlic as well. Cook until there’s no more visible pink on the chicken, probably 3-4 minutes. Then add green chills – along with all of the juices in the can.
- Add beans, cumin, oregano, coriander, salt, and a few turns of fresh cracked pepper. Stir to combine and then add chicken broth. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add the juice from one lime and the ½ cup chopped cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle into bowls and top with toppings.
Notes
- ROTISSERIE CHICKEN – if you’re using precooked chicken, just add it along with the broth and let it simmer. Easy!
- I call this a chili, but it’s really a soup consistency. If you want it thicker, just reduce the amount of broth. Or, alternatively, take an additional can of beans (drained and rinsed) and place them in a blender. Ladle in a cup or 2 of the finished broth (avoid the chicken pieces, etc.) and puree until smooth. Add this mixture to the soup.
- Another way to make this a creamier, heartier soup is to add about 1/3 cup dry rice with the broth and let it simmer until soft (about 20 minutes). You can also add a can of evaporated milk at the very end after the heat has been turned off.
- Store cooled leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3-4 days for best results.
- Like most soups, White Chicken Chili freezes well. Freeze in individual portions for a quick meal when needed!
Questions & Reviews
Hi! Would I be able to throw this in the crock pot? Or do you suggest to cook the onion and chicken, etc beforehand?
Thanks!
I love this recipe! A friend made this for me after I had my baby last October and it has become one of our family favorites! The only two changes that make are: 1-Omit the Coriander seeds and 2-Add a couple of tomatillos to the soup while it is simmering and then blend them and add them back after they are pureed. It gives it just a little bit more Mexican yumminess!
This is one of my favorite recipes. I don’t know how many times I’ve made it.
I made this for dinner tonight and it was a hit! Instead of chicken, I used ground turkey. I forgot to buy cilantro this morning, bummer. I love cilantro!:(
It was delicious anyway! My 3 year old loved it because he could eat it with avocado and chips(his favorite foods of the moment). Hubby had seconds, he is also a tortilla chips lover. Another great healthy and nutritious dish for my family. Thanks Sarah!
A friend of mine was eating this at work and it looked and smelled mouth watering. I want to make it for dinner sometime soon, but I am wondering if it works in the crockpot? Is there anything you would do to modify it? I work a lot of graveyards so I like to throw things in the crockpot when I get home so I can wake up and still have a good dinner ready for my family.
Thanks!
You could put it in a crock pot, but it’s so quick and easy to make on the stove top that it’s probably better to just make it and pop the finished soup in a freezer container. If you put it in a crock pot, the chicken will be over-cooked and the onions won’t be sauteed, but it would probably still be good 🙂
I absolutely loved this recipe but wanted to thicken it up a bit. I pureed some of the bean mixture (before adding the chicken) and put it back in. That did it for me, and it is now one of my favorite soups. Thanks for the delicious inspiration! I’ve just posted it on my blog: http://www.fransfavs.com/2011/11/green-chile-chicken-soup/
Delicious! Kids ate it right up.
So I made this tonight and was all excited to try it… I chopped my cilantro and for some reason I thought it smelled a little funny; almost like cilantro but just a little off.. So what do I do? I add it in anyways.. I start eating the soup and I have to say, I wasn’t wow’ed by it at this point. I went back to my fridge to look at the label on the cilantro and come to find out, it was parsley.. Yeah, just in case anyone was thinking of trying out that flavor combo, I’m here to tell you it doesn’t work. When I eat the chili without a bit of parsley, its really good. Thanks for the recipe and next time I try this recipe, I’ll pay a little more attention. 🙂
Do you suppose we could add one more can of beans and purree it before adding to thicken it – not sure why I’m asking – because I’ll probably just try it either way 😉 Just want to tell you all AGAIN – I’m starting to think you save my marriage – my husband LOVES everything from the blog and cookbook and its so nice to not have to worry!!
sure; go for it!
Can this be made in the crock pot so it cooks during the day and ready when we get home?
Yes Danielle, that works fine. You’ll just want to add the lime and cilantro before serving. I personally don’t like boneless skinless chicken in the crock pot because it gets kind of stringy, but a lot of people don’t mind 🙂 It doesn’t need very much cooking time, so do it for a shorter time if possible, and on low.