INGREDIENTS:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cups sweet Vidalia or yellow onion, peeled and diced small (about 2 medium/1 large onion)
- 1 large jalapeño pepper (about 4 to 5 inches long), diced very small (the seeds are where the heat is concentrated; include or discard them based on preference) (I used my mini food processor to finely chop half of the onion and the whole jalapeño. Processing the onion created a wet/liquidy mixture.)
- 7 to 8 ounces canned green chilis, don't drain (I used mild heat.)
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
- 32 ounces (4 cups) low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 cups shredded cooked chicken (use one whole store-bought rotisserie chicken to save time.) (One whole rotisserie chicken gave me about 2.5 cups chicken. It was plenty and I liked that my soup had more liquid than the picture shown.)
- 2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (see step 4 below about blending 1 cup of the beans with a splash of chicken broth or water.) (Do this step before starting to cook the soup.)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoons salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional and to taste
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely minced (I only used a few tablespoons, but this ingredient is not optional! A must!!)
- tortilla strips, chips, crackers, diced avocado, shredded cheese, and/or sour cream; all are optional for garnishing
DIRECTIONS:
- To a large Dutch oven or stockpot, add the olive oil and heat over medium-high heat to warm.
- Add the onion, jalapeno, green chilis, and sauté for about 7 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften. Stir intermittently.
- Add the garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir intermittently.
- Add the chicken broth, chicken, and cannellini beans/bean puree. (Take 1 cup of the beans, add to a food processor or blender, and add a splash of chicken broth or water. Blend until smooth; mixture should be thick.) Add lime juice, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, red chili flakes, {optional} cayenne pepper, and bring to a boil. Allow mixture to boil gently for about 7 to 10 minutes. It's unlikely, but if at any point the overall liquid level looks low or you prefer your chili to be thinner, add 1 cup of water or as desired; adjust the salt and seasoning levels at the end. For thicker chili, allow mixture to boil longer and reduce until desired thickness is reached.
- Add the cilantro and boil 1 minute.
- Taste chili and add salt to taste. This will vary based on how salty the chicken broth, beans, and rotisserie chicken are, and personal preference. Make any necessary seasoning adjustments (i.e. more salt, pepper, cumin, cayenne, lime juice, etc.).
- Ladle chili into bowls, and optionally garnish with tortilla strips, chips, crackers, avocado, cheese and/or sour cream; serve immediately. Chili will keep airtight in the fridge for 5 to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
*www.averiecooks.com