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Just wanted to give you photographic evidence of the awesomeness of this chili. Which, I will have readers note, I originally published a year ago. Then, a few weeks ago, I got a newsletter from America’s Test Kitchen promoting their great technique for making a thick, unctuous (great word) white chili…and it was my method!
Now, in no space in my addled mind do I think that I was the inventor of this technique. Instead, it was really cool to see something I came up with on my own as a method promoted by the nerdiest of all food nerds, Christopher Kimball. It made me feel like, in some tiny, eensy way, that I know what I’m doing in the kitchen. Sometimes.
And, in the pursuit of honesty, I’ve actually made this chili again since this second post of it. It’s that good. Make it today.
White Chicken Chili
A variation. Cooking the chicken in the stock makes it richer and thicker, as does using homemade stock, so this comes out a lot more unctuous than using plain ol’ chicken broth. Instead of fresh zucchini and greens, feel free to sub in winter-friendly frozen produce – corn, frozen spinach, lima beans, whatever. And if you want it really spicy, leave the seeds in all the peppers. Top it off with good dollops of shredded cheese, sour cream (I always use greek yogurt instead), cilantro, radishes, pickled peppers, you name it.
- 2 tsp olive oil
- Approximately 1 lb bone-in, skin-on chicken – thighs & legs preferred
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups chopped zucchini (optional)
- 3 seeded jalapeño pepper, chopped
- 1 poblano pepper, chopped
- 1 anaheim pepper, chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 2 cans white or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen corn (or hominy, which I used)
- 3 cups chicken broth (or more – enough to make initial mixture soupy, not stewy)
- Grated Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese, greek yogurt/sour cream, and cilantro, for serving.
1. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and sear on all sides, starting with the skin side down. Remove from skillet and set aside
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2. Add onion to skilled (add more oil if using skinless chicken) and cook until starting to soften, about 4 minutes. Mix in the garlic, chile peppers,zucchini, cumin, and oregano; cook the mixture until tender, about 5 minutes. Mix in the chicken broth and white beans. Return chicken to the pot (it will poach in the broth). Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer until chicken is cooked, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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3. At the end of 20 minutes or when chicken is cooked through, remove chicken from pot and set aside to cool for 5 minutes. Remove skin and discard. Remove meat from bones and shred chicken using fingers or 2 forks. Return to pot along with greens of choice; stir and allow to cook for another 10 minutes to re-warm chicken and cook greens.
4. Serve topped with grated cheese, cilantro, chopped fresh tomato, salsa, chopped scallions, and/or guacamole if you like, or have fresh warmed flour tortillas or bread on the side.
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Yum. One of my personal favorites. It may get made here just after Christmas, though I might have to go with chicken tortilla soup. I make this pretty much just as you do, except I add a good cup of buttermilk to it.It started because, heck, what are you supposed to do with the rest of the buttermilk after you’ve made biscuits and ranch dressing? I don’t think it’s supposed to be creamy, but that’s how I like it. If you ever have it lying around try it, it’s damn good. We should have a soup exchange. Who else could we get to soup it up with us?